Cleveland Browns

Dwayne Bowe earned $1.8 million per catch this season

Published Jan. 4, 2016 11:50 a.m. ET

foxsports

Dwayne Bowe's 2015 season in Cleveland ended like the previous 16 weeks -- with a whimper.

Bowe was once again a healthy scratch in Sunday's season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bowe, signed this offseason to be the team's No. 1 receiver, dressed just seven times this season and recorded a measly five catches for 53 yards.

Needless to say, the signing of Bowe was a colossal bust and part of the reason general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine were dismissed Sunday night after a second straight losing season. Regardless of who is calling the shots next season, it's fairly safe to assume that Bowe won't be back in Cleveland with an $8 million cap hit. That means Bowe will be paid $9 million for his body of work in a Browns uniform as part of the guaranteed portion of the two-year, $12.5 million contract he signed.

The return on investment amounts to $1.8 million per reception, $1.285 million per game, and just under $170,000 per receiving yard for the Browns. For comparison's sake, Antonio Brown, who caught 13 passes for 187 yards in Sunday's 28-12 win over Cleveland, would receive $244.8 million for his league-high 136 receptions and $311.4 million for his 1,834 receiving yards if he were paid at the same rate.

And just to think that the Browns could have drafted Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014 instead of Justin Gilbert. That's two pretty big misses for Ray Farmer during his tenure.