It’s no secret that last season wasn’t the finest in the history of the Cleveland Browns. A record of 1-15 underlined the ‘rebuild’ taking place in Berea. It shone a light on the key positions on the roster that need to improve drastically. The statistics don’t lie; according to ‘Pro Football Reference,’ Cleveland ranked 31st in the league for Points Scored; 28th for Passing Yards and 30th for Passing Touchdowns.
Therefore, a critical step on the route to Cleveland’s future success is to improve the receiver corp. Let’s take a closer look at the players that will be lining up on the outside for the Browns in 2017.
Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Depth Chart Projections
1. Kenny Britt
When there isn’t a clear number one receiver on the roster, teams must establish what they value more in making that call. Do you take the player with a higher talent ceiling and draft pedigree, in the case of Corey Coleman? Or do you, in this instance, put your faith in Kenny Britt’s form and fitness, not to mention that he is just off a 1,000+ yard plus season in 2016. A season with the Los Angeles Rams, where the quarterback play was on par with some of the worst that fans have experienced in Cleveland.
With the exit during free agency of Terrelle Pryor, it is up to Britt to offer a strong consistency on the field and a strong leadership off it with the rest of rookies and younger players in the receiving room. He may not be the man for the future, but by taking a bulk of the workload and pressure off of the developing players around him and playing opposite the fragile Coleman, Britt is the man for right now.
2. Corey Coleman
Selected 15th overall in the 2016 draft, the former Baylor wide-out exploded onto the scene last season with 104 yards and two touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens in week two. However, the fragility that plagued his earlier high school and college career, reared its ugly head. Coleman would go on to miss the next six games and struggle to recapture his early promise.
Many Browns fans feel that the number two spot is an appropriate landing spot for Coleman. He must work hard, especially this pre-season, to make up for lost time. Sitting behind Britt on the depth chart eases the pressure and expectation that will inevitably be laid at his feet. Coleman must not just fulfill the ‘sky-high’ potential that the Browns expect from him, but also must stay healthy and stay consistent. Both of these go hand in hand when searching for a number one wide receiver.
3. Ricardo Louis
Second-year receiver Ricardo Louis is quietly positioning himself as the ‘best-of-the-rest’ for the Browns. The coaches in Cleveland see a significant improvement in Louis from his rookie year this off-season,
“It’s a different guy,” Receiving coach Al Saunders stated at the end of mini camp. “You look at Ricardo now and he’s playing with so much more confidence. He’s catching the ball really well, he’s running fast.”
What has pushed Louis to the top of the pile with Britt and Coleman, is the dedication he has shown towards improving on his rookie season. If he isn’t immersing himself into the learning the playbook, Louis is working hard to build on his speed and route running. Even taking the opportunity to work out with NFL veteran Brandon Marshall this off-season.
With Coleman’s tendency to miss games through injury, Ricardo Louis could be set for a much more significant year in the Browns offence.
4. Duke Johnson
It would be disrespectful to the remaining receiver hopefuls to dismiss them as ‘scraping the barrel’. There is a great unknown amongst the likes of Rashard Higgins, Jordan Payton, and Rannell Hall. It is too soon in their Browns careers to appropriately predict if they are ready to break out in 2017.
One player that fans do know about, however, is Duke Johnson. With Isaiah Crowell growing in stature as one of the NFL’s fastest rising running backs and likely to demand the majority of carries out of the back field, Johnson has stepped up as a very effective pass-catching back.
So why is he here at number four on the depth chart for the Browns? The reports out of Cleveland as we approach the pre-season game is that Johnson will be expanding his role in the offence beyond just as a running back.
Johnson clearly has talent in his hands, amassing over 1,000 receiving yards in his first two seasons as a running back. Only Arizona’s David Johnson has accrued more that over the same period as a back. With former slot-receiver Andrew Hawkins now with the Patriots, the Browns can strategically harness the talent that Johnson has, as a real weapon in the passing game.
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