While Cleveland burns, Dwayne Bowe fiddles.
Or something like that.
Bowe, one of the top free agents left in a paper-thin market for wide receivers, has yet to sign a contract after visiting the Browns last weekend.
The Browns may have him in their sights, but they signed the other two players who visited last weekend -- Randy Starks and Tramon Williams -- and Bowe remains on the market.
It’s usually not a good sign when a guy visits and days go by without a contract, but time will tell. While the Browns waited on Bowe, Cecil Shorts signed with Houston.
It may be Bowe or bust for the Browns regarding free agency and wideouts. A list of the available receivers shows a meager group of 30-somethings and guys who lack significant impact. The Jets have even brought in Denarius Moore for a visit; he had 12 catches last season in Oakland. It probably says something that Bowe and Michael Crabtree are the best of the lot; both are leaving their teams without much regret from those organizations.
The Browns are picking from a group that includes guys like Nate Washington, Hakeem Nicks, Donnie Avery and Lance Moore. The team must decide what it will pay a free agent, whether anyone remaining is worth the effort or whether they simply look to the draft (DeVante Parker … DeVante Parker … DeVante Parker … )
Here’s a look at 10 still-available receivers:
1. Bowe -- Probably the best of the group, though not a pure No. 1. Bowe would be an upgrade for the Browns, and looks better and better compared to the others on the list.
2. Michael Crabtree -- He’s only 28 and has drawn little interest. He drops a fair amount of passes, and has not proven he has regained his 2012 form (1,105 yards) after tearing his Achilles tendon in 2013. Crabtree’s biggest receiving game last season was 82 yards, and he ended the season with eight catches for 65 yards in the final three games. The fact he ranks second on the list speaks volumes.
3. Denarius Moore -- The Jets are bringing him in for a visit after he had 12 catches last season. Twelve. He also missed five games with knee and ankle injuries suffered after he fell down some steps. Moore has 142 catches in 37 career starts, but he is still just 26 and has speed. Which is something.
4. Greg Jennings, Vikings -- A pro’s pro who had 127 receptions in Minnesota the past two seasons. But at 31, Jennings is four years removed from his last 1,000-yard season.
5. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Steelers -- Next season will be his fourth team in four years. The former first-round pick in Oakland had three receptions last season.
6. Miles Austin, Browns -- The Browns won’t sign him because they signed a younger version of Austin in Brian Hartline. But he’s as good as anyone else on the list after Bowe.
7. Jarrett Boykin, Packers -- Seemed headed to be one of long-tenured Packers receivers after he topped 100 yards in a start against the Browns in 2013 and after he had 40 catches for 681 yards that season. But he plummeted in 2014, fell behind Davante Adams, and Green Bay didn't think twice about not re-signing him.
8. Andre Holmes, Raiders -- This restricted free agent was supposed to be on the Browns' radar, but he’s drawn zero interest -- even with a low tender. At this point, he appears headed back to the Raiders.
9. Hakeem Nicks, Colts -- A name veteran who has not been able to come back from a knee injury in 2013. Like Crabtree, Jennings, Austin and Bowe, Nicks is a veteran name who is drawing little interest on the free-agent market. The difference with Nicks is he's still just 27.
10. Greg Little, Bengals -- A reunion is highly unlikely. However, including his name allows this phrase to resurface: Somebody has to pay.
It’s not a pretty list, and it may be why the Browns are telling themselves Bowe or bust.
But given the names on the list, the Browns might be best served doubling down on a receiver in the draft.
