Cleveland, Ohio (92.3 The Fan/WGR 550) – The Cleveland Browns have come to terms on a contract with former Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports the agreement is for one-year worth up to $3.5 million.
Hines, who missed the 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL during a freak jet ski accident last July, was picked by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft and has rushed for 1,202 yards with 10 touchdowns in 81 games.
The 27-year-old is also a kick return specialist with career averages of 11.4 yards per-punt return and 25.5 returning kickoffs with four total touchdown returns.
Hines was acquired by the Bills just before the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline from the Colts for running back Zack Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
In his nine games played with the Bills in 2022, he was primarily used as a pass-catching back and kick returner, putting up 53 yards receiving on five catches and 53 touchdowns.
As a kick returner, Hines returned 19 kicks in 2022 for the Bills for an average of 29.2 yards per-return. This included a game in Week 18 of the season against the New England Patriots, where he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns less than a week after safety Damar Hamlin nearly died on the field in a matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The release of Hines saved the Bills $4.6 million on their salary cap with just $500,000 worth of dead cap money.
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Meanwhile, Joe Flacco fever has broken.
The Browns came to terms on a contract with veteran quarterback Jameis Winston on Tuesday morning, a league source confirmed to 92.3 The Fan. This means that veteran Joe Flacco will not return to Cleveland.
Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report first reported the agreement which, is for one year and worth up to $8.7 million.
Winston, a former No. 1 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015, has spent the past four seasons in New Orleans, primarily as a backup quarterback for the Saints, where he appeared in 21 games with 10 starts.
For his career, Winston has started 80 of the 93 games he has appeared in, completing 61.2% of his passes for 22,104 yards with 141 touchdowns and 99 interceptions.
Flacco, who threw for 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in five starts during the regular season, was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 for leading the Browns down the stretch to the playoffs after signing in mid-November.
On Tuesday, defensive end Za’Darius Smith, acquired last offseason in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst agreed to stay in Cleveland. The Browns also came to terms on a contract with Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks, who used to play for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in Philadelphia.
Saturday saw the Browns agree to acquire wide receiver Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos for a pair of 2024 draft picks – Nos. 135 and 202 in the fifth and sixth rounds respectively.