Browns Lock in Safety Hickman with Second-Round Tender

0:00On March 8th, the Cleveland Browns have placed the second round tender on restricted free agent safety, Ronnie Hickman. This gives them the right to match any outside offer he gets or receive a second round draft pick as compensation. If no other team steps up, he'll play next season on a one-year deal worth $5.8 million. Hickman first joined the Browns as an undrafted free agent, a smart pick-up by General Manager Andrew Berry amid plenty of criticism for the teams. Recent moves, while the 2023 draft class mostly flopped, Hickman quickly proved himself as the standout. That draft brought little success, with most picks either cut, traded away, or barely hanging on like wide receiver, Cedric Tillman. Guys like defensive tackle Siyaki Ika and quarterback Dorian Thompson Robinson didn't stick around long, leaving the roster thin on homegrown talent. Hickman, though, wrecked up 178 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 passes defense over three years.

1:02He earned a starting spot last season, with a strong 71.6 player grade from pro football focus, ranking him among the top safeties. At just 24 years old, he's become a key part of the secondary, and locking him into a longer deal now makes perfect sense for the Browns. Future plans.