Entering the 2023 season, the Cleveland Browns receivers room was overhauled. The best part of what little draft capital they had went to the group. The team traded down from the second round in exchange for the athletic Elijah Moore from the New York Jets. Then Cleveland spent their third-round choice on the physical Cedric Tillman from Tennessee.
2023 was a season of extremes for Cleveland. They started five different quarterbacks, which certainly hampered the development of the Browns receivers. The offense designed around franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson didn’t quite work. As Cleveland rotated through its litany of signal callers, head coach Kevin Stefanski’s gimmicky offense was jettisoned for a simpler design which ended up working better.
So, were the Browns receivers better in 2023 than they were the year before? A qualified yes.
Evaluating the Cleveland Browns Receivers
One of the best ways to evaluate the success of the Cleveland Browns receivers room is to see how their top targets did. Part of the benefit of having a larger stable of receiving threats is to open up your best guys. In Cleveland, that’s wide receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku. In that way, 2023 was certainly a success.
Amari Cooper’s receptions were down slightly, but he also played two fewer games this past season. Yet, he managed to increase his yards per game average from 14.9 to 17.4. He was also on the receiving end of some of the Browns biggest clutch plays at key moments of the games. Njoku, on the other hand, thrived in the simplified Browns offense. He ended the year with career highs across the board, leading the team in receptions (81) and receiving touchdowns (6). Those numbers would have been higher if he hadn’t developed a case of the yips in October.
No. 2 Among the Browns Receivers: Elijah Moore
Coming into the season, it was unclear which Browns receiver would play second fiddle to Amari Cooper. It turned out to be the athletic Elijah Moore, although Stefanski still hasn’t quite figured out how Moore best fits into the offense. Early on, it seemed Stefanski was focused on deploying Moore as a gadget receiver. Browns fans probably still have PTSD over the awful failed Jet sweep Stefanski insisted on deploying multiple times in September and early October. Moore attempted nine carries for a grand total of 11 yards… and had a long of 19! A statistical oddity, to be sure.
In the simpler version of the offense, best run under Joe Flacco in December, Moore’s role shifted. Even though Moore played with Flacco last season in New York, Flacco seemed to develop his greatest report with Njoku. Nonetheless, Moore, like Njoku, finished with career highs in receptions and yards.
Entering 2024, the Cleveland Browns have learned that their offense works best with a simplified play design and a strong-armed improviser under center. Taking the restraints off of quarterback Deshaun Watson would do wonders for the Browns quarter-billion-dollar man. Watson likes having a deep man early in his progressions. Both Moore and Cooper have the speed to do that, and Cleveland can alternate the two. Cooper flourishes, making tough catches on the sidelines, where Moore loves working in space. Quicker than fast, Moore can create opportunities in the mid-level.
Rookie Cedric Tillman
The Cleveland Browns spent a third-round pick on Cedric Tillman, hoping that he’d be a big, physical receiver for short to intermediate targets. At 6-3 215, Tillman certainly has the body type for it. However, 2023 proved the rookie has a long way to go in his development. Tillman was stuck on the bench for the first few games while the Browns receiver’s room was logjammed. After Donovan Peoples-Jones was traded, Tillman got on the field more. He was often tentative. Where the Browns expected him to be physical, he looked uncomfortable. It wasn’t clear how well he knew his routes, catching only 21 passes on 44 targets. He has yet to score the first touchdown of his young NFL career. Clearly, the jury is still out on his future success.
What the Browns Receivers Room Needs Going Forward
There’s little in the Cleveland Browns receivers room beyond Tillman at this point. 2022 third-round pick David Bell improved a little, particularly later in the season. He finished the year with fewer receptions but a much higher average and caught his first three touchdown passes. It’s hard to count on him as anything more than a bottom-of-the-roster option right now. Meanwhile, deep threat Marquise Goodwin was a complete bust. He caught just four passes on 13 targets, dropping two. 57 of his 67 yards came on a single play… his lone “deep threat” catch of the season.
After the apocalyptic series of injuries the Cleveland Browns went through in 2023, the team should have a renewed appreciation for having multiple options. General Manager Andrew Berry should be asking himself: What happens if Amari Cooper misses significant time in 2024? Will Moore step up and be the No. 1 man in the Browns receivers room? Unlikely, he’s not that kind of player. Will Tillman? Bell?
The championship window is rapidly closing in Cleveland. The team is up against the salary cap. Yet, the team needs to add a veteran to be the No. 2 option, who is capable of stepping up in a pinch. With Amari Cooper working the intermediate and deep sidelines and Moore in space, the team should look for a physical receiver to catch the ball in traffic around the hashmarks. Tillman might be that guy in a year or two, but he’s not ready yet. When it’s working, then the new addition can take the pressure off of Cooper and open up lanes for both Njoku and Moore.
This could be someone like DeAndre Hopkins, who the Cleveland Browns unwisely passed on entering 2023. Though Hopkins is under contract with the Tennessee Titans, the team is undergoing a complete rebuild, and he likely could be released. Hopkins could be induced to rejoin Watson in Cleveland on a one-year, incentive-laden deal.
Berry shouldn’t say no to a late-round speedster in the upcoming NFL Draft, either.
Main Photo: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
