The Browns’ WR Room Is Still Filled With Questions
Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Expectations are growing by the day in Cleveland. With each camp highlight and insider tweet, the Browns faithful grow more convinced that they are sitting on the precipice of something special. With Deshaun Watson entering his first full season as a starter, and a long list of potential weapons to compliment him, there’s reason to believe the organization may be sitting on a top-ranked offense.
But for that belief to become reality, the Browns are going to need an uptick out of their wide receiver room. While the team has a definite WR1 in Amari Cooper, they have not stopped searching for more players to solidify the backup positions, using considerable resources to acquire players like:
- Donovan Peoples-Jones (sixth-round pick in 2020)
- David Bell (third-round pick in 2022)
- Cedric Tillman (third-round pick in 2023)
- Elijah Moore (acquired in a trade with the New York Jets
We know who Nick Chubb is. We know the offensive line is elite. We know what Watson is capable of. But if this team is going to take the next step, these receivers are the players that are going to have to progress. And each of them is a bit of a question mark.
Will Donovan Peoples-Jones Continue His Ascent?
Donovan Peoples-Jones will be entering his fourth season in the NFL, and he has a point to prove. Peoples-Jones has experienced a statistical jump each year, going from 300 to 600 to 800 yards in a year in which the team was quarterbacked by two different players.
Peoples-Jones finished with a 64.9 PFF grade, with his best game being a Week 11 matchup against the Buffalo Bills in which he grabbed all five targets for 61 yards and a touchdown. Peoples-Jones also performed fairly consistently throughout the season, with no “breakout game” or explosive statistical outlier, tabbing nine games with above fifty receiving yards.
After Deshaun Watson’s return, Peoples-Jones had only one game in which he finished above 50 yards. That may be a testament to the lack of chemistry between players, or Watson’s rustiness in his return to the field.
Will Stability Translate For Elijah Moore?
Elijah Moore was acquired via trade with the Jets, with Cleveland sending the 42nd-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft for Moore and the Jets’ third-rounder. Moore was drafted at the 34th-overall slot by the Jets in 2021 and performed well in his debut season, compiling 538 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games along with a 71.2 PFF grade
Moore then regressed severely in 2022. How much of the blame lies on him is difficult to determine. Moore played alongside four quarterbacks in the 2022 season, the most prolific of them being Zach Wilson, who has been much maligned for not living up to his status as the second-overall pick in the 2020 draft. As frustration boiled within the organization over the offense’s stagnancy, Moore requested a trade.
Despite his paltry numbers within a dysfunctional offense in 2022, Moore would have been the Browns’ third-most productive wide receiver, and he could reach new heights in the Stefanski system.
"He's the real deal, he could end up leading the team in receptions," – @TonyGrossi on what he saw from Elijah Moore in West Virginia.
What are your expectations for Moore this season? pic.twitter.com/nlHZUScGTb
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 31, 2023
Under The Radar: Cedric Tillman
Cedric Tillman was drafted in the third round out of Tennessee and will immediately be expected to contribute after recovering from ankle surgery. Tillman totalled 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last full collegiate season, and had an impressive performance at the Combine, with an overall RAS score of 8.67.
Tillman will be expected to contribute immediately at the WR4 spot, and could battle for the WR3 position with Moore. If Tillman can contribute consistently in his allotted snaps he may have a solid impact on the team.
Tillman also performed well in limited preseason action, totalling two receptions for 35 yards and drawing praise for his unusual acumen as a rookie.
Veteran savvy was littered all over Cedric Tillman's Tennessee tape. And it popped up in his NFL debut again. Keep that back hand tight to the body, use it to create a bit of extra cushion (or a lot in this case). pic.twitter.com/wnbW9Lk6NP
— Cory (@fakecorykinnan) August 6, 2023
The Browns’ wide receiver corps are intriguing. While unproven, they create a talented group with substantial upside. Deshaun Watson’s return to form will be critical for that potential to be actualized. If he is able to get back to All-Pro form, the offense could be the best that the organization has had in the past 30 years.
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