The Cleveland Browns have a lot of exciting pieces on the offensive side of the ball. Running back Nick Chubb and wide receiver Jarvis Landry are returning for their second seasons in Cleveland. David Njoku arrived as a legitimate receiving tight end at the end of 2018. Then there are the new additions. Cleveland added superstars Kareem Hunt and Odell Beckham in the offseason. Hunt has yet to serve an eight game suspension, but Chubb is capable of carrying the load until he gets back. Sophomore quarterback Baker Mayfield has weapons galore at his disposal. However, one name often flies under the radar in Browns talk: tight end Seth DeValve. A potential Seth DeValve breakout may be vital to one of the best and most exciting offenses Cleveland has ever boasted.
Why 2019 Could Lead To A Seth DeValve Breakout
Current State of Browns Tight Ends
DeValve enters his fourth NFL season with a fair amount of ups and downs. He enjoyed a mini breakout in 2017, when he caught 33 passes for 395 yards. Last year, he played just 98 snaps, fourth among Browns tight ends. He has flashed exceptional athleticism and route running talent, but has played limited snaps due to underwhelming blocking ability. However, the Browns like to employ two tight end sets. They did so on 18% of plays in 2018 after they fired Hue Jackson, slightly above the league average of 16%. They also ran sets with three tight ends on an impressive 14% of plays. League average sits at 3% there.
Head coach and offensive play caller Freddie Kitchens is excellent at scheming his second tight end open. Darren Fells is essentially a sixth offensive lineman and he caught three touchdowns last year, including the first of Mayfield’s career. DeValve is a far superior receiver to Fells, and Fells is now a free agent. That means that there are 420 snaps to be replaced in the Browns offense, and a majority of those should go to DeValve and the newly signed Demetrius Harris. If he steps up and improves his blocking, the opportunity to thrive is staring him in the face.
Opportunity via Gravity for DeValve
Defenses are going to have a lot of players to scheme for against Cleveland in 2019. Beckham Jr. is a top five NFL receiver who commands lots of double teams and attention. Jarvis Landry also deserves attention, especially out of the slot, where he’ll play more in 2019 with the addition of Beckham. Once Hunt is back from suspension the Browns will have two running backs with compatible skill sets. Even Njoku is a young, athletic tight end that defenses will want to key on to. Mayfield wants to spread the ball around. Thanks to Kitchens’ schemes and the gravity of DeValve’s teammates, he should have all kinds of opportunity to showcase his route running ability and make a big offensive impact.
A lot of people note that there are only two Sashi Brown picks left on Cleveland’s roster; DeValve and Njoku. Though there is a slight chance DeValve gets cut, he’s a good young player being paid only $815K in 2019. The Browns would be wise to hold onto him for another season and let him capitalize on an opportunity to break out.
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