Browns Should Extend KhaDarel Hodge
The Cleveland Browns have a number of decisions to make on contracts between this year and next, but one of the easiest should be the move to sign wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge to a new contract.
Hodge is currently on a one-year deal worth $750,000 and he's been a valuable member of the Browns this year. Coming into the season, he was a developing receiver with his value really coming on special teams.
Hodge can still contribute on special teams, but his snaps there have been greatly reduced because they utilize him so much on offense. It may not have been clear how much the team needed him until he suffered a hamstring injury in warm ups before the game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hodge was operating as team's third receiver over Rashard Higgins and there were a few reasons for it. The Browns really wanted their third receiver to offer speed and the ability to stretch the field. In addition to allowing a few deeper targets, it just forced defenses to play with more respect to that possibility.
When Hodge was out, defenses were still forced to respect Odell Beckham, even offering extra attention on him at times, but the rest of the defense was playing closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. It made it easier for the opponents to defend the run and shrunk windows in the passing game.
He comes back and defenses are giving the Browns a little more space. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, Hodge caught three passes for 73 yards including a 42-yard reception and a key third down conversion.
That takes Hodge's season total to a grand total of six receptions. That's right. Hodge has six receptions on the season for 124 yards on 12 targets.
Hodge's value is more than just gaudy receiving numbers. A good sized player at 6'2" 205 pounds, he is the best run blocking receiver on the team. Against the Eagles, he had a key block along with Wyatt Teller, enabling Kareem Hunt to get into the end zone, but he's often found in the front of long runs.
Hodge plays the game like every snap is his last. He gives the team whatever he has on any given play and he's getting improving. It wouldn't be a surprise if he continues to grows into his role as a receiver and gets a larger amount of looks, particularly with Beckham out for the season.
The Browns don't have much in the way of deep threats and it's not for a lack of trying. They've put Taywan Taylor and even Jojo Natson out there. Donovan Peoples-Jones has potential and has flashed, but right now, it's Hodge by a wide margin.
Considering how little production Hodge actually has, it's remarkable how much he means to this offense. The Browns should sign him on a multi-year deal for basically somewhere between $1 to $2 million per season.
In the best case scenario, he's a fourth or fifth receiver. If the team has better options on offense, he simply goes back to being a fulltime special teams player, but when called upon, he can contribute for the offense as illustrated against the Eagles. He provides valuable depth while knowing the system and would cost about one percent of the salary cap.
On top of everything else, Hodge brings so much of what teams want in terms of attitude, effort and work ethic. He has been a smart, tough, accountable player and the Browns should reward him for it. It's the type of contract that meets universal approval in a locker room and allows the 25-year old Hodge to truly make Cleveland his home.
