The Cleveland Browns are unlikely to make a big splash this offseason to add to their receiving arsenal around Deshaun Watson.
The wide receiver position was expected to be a priority this offseason for the Browns, who want to give Watson more to work with in the passing game. Watson also publicly petitioned for the team to sign Tee Higgins, who ended up being franchised tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, the team shook up its offensive coaching staff this offseason and wants to get the most out of the players they have under contract, per Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com.
“It’s very doubtful the Browns will make a big move (read expensive) for a receiver,” Pluto said on February 25. “They want to upgrade that area of the team, but they believe they have two Pro Bowlers in Amari Cooper and David Njoku. One of the parts of adding new coaches to the offense is to make better use of Njoku’s pass-catching ability.”
Njoku is coming off his first Pro Bowl season. He led the Brown with 81 receptions (81) and notched career-highs in yardage (882) and touchdowns (6). Interestingly, Njoku came on strong with Joe Flacco as his quarterback.
The same could be said for Cooper, who is as steady as they come. He was solid with Watson but had some massive showings catching passes from Flacco. That included an 11-reception game against the Houston Texans where he went for a franchise single-game record 265 yards.
Browns Want More Out of Elijah Moore
The Browns may not make a big splash but they can add some depth. Veteran Marquise Goodwin was a good idea last offseason. However, the speedster never found his groove in Cleveland. He dealt with a blood clot issue in training camp and missed time with a concussion. Goodwin finished the year with just 4 catches for 67 yards. A veteran similar to Goodwin could come cheap and potentially make an impact.
The key for the Browns will be getting more out of Elijah Moore. The team traded for Moore last offseason and he was decent. That being said, Moore didn’t function like a true No. 2 option behind Cooper. He finished with 59 catches for 640 yards.
Rookie Cedric Tillman is another piece the Browns feel confident in. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound third-round rookie didn’t explode during his first season but showed progression. He finished with 21 catches for 224 yards.
“The Browns also want the new coaches to squeeze more out of Elijah Moore, making him a viable No. 2 behind Cooper,” Pluto said. “They want to develop Cedric Tillman, who has the size and raw ability to be a solid receiver. I expect them to add a less expensive veteran receiver, and probably draft another receiver. But that could happen in the middle rounds.”
Browns Feel Good About Deshaun Watson Despite Injuries
Regardless of who is at wide receiver, the catalyst for the Browns has to be Watson. Through two seasons he’s played in just 12 games and the results have been mixed. He’s passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in those games.
Watson is also coming off season-ending shoulder surgery. He’s expected to be ready to roll for training camp. The Browns are confident he can still regain the Pro Bowl form he showed in Houston.
“We feel good about Deshaun,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “I think the biggest thing is just him staying on the field, keeping (him) on the field. Each year, we really do try and do as much self-assessment as possible on every area of the operation. So in good years and bad years, (we) will probably always tinker somewhere to some degree with what we think is best. But in terms of just Deshaun in particular, we’re excited. We just want to make sure he’s healthy.”
In many ways, Flacco proved that the Browns have the pieces to be an explosive offense. From Week 13 on, Flacco led the NFL in passing yards (323.2 per game) and added 13 touchdown passes.
