Browns 2023 Training Camp Preview: Wide Receivers
For the first time in a long time, Cleveland has an abundance of talent in its wide receiver room. After prioritizing adding weapons for Deshaun Watson, it'll be a great competition in training camp to see which players make the team in 2023.
The Browns revamped their wide receiver room this offseason, and it has the potential to be the best group of pass-catchers that Cleveland's had since they came back. Andrew Berry may have made a game-changing move by trading for Elijah Moore in March, as well as snagging Cedric Tillman in the 3rd round of this year's draft. This group's most thrilling overall quality is versatility. Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, and Marquise Goodwin specifically can all play at multiple spots. This benefits the offense for two reasons.
1. Cleveland can rotate guys at every spot to keep defenses "on their toes" by making it hard for defensive backs to get comfortable covering specific receivers. In the same vein, they can also attempt to target specific defenders by influencing defenses to make pre-snap audibles and coverage switches.
2. Versatility eases injury concerns. If Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Donovan Peoples-Jones can all effectively play "Z", then it limits the chance of offensive regression if one of them goes down with an injury.
Deshaun Watson currently has all of the weaponry and firepower that he should need to orchestrate one of the best passing offenses in the league in 2023. Kevin Stefanski, Alex Van Pelt, Bill Musgrave, and Chad O'Shea are all working together to take the next step in unlocking a more explosive passing offense in 2023. This immensely talented wide receiver room is at the forefront of this movement.
Acquisitions:
Elijah Moore (Trade), Marquise Goodwin (Free Agency), Cedric Tillman (Draft), Ra'Shaun Henry (Free Agency)
Departures:
Chester Rogers (Free Agency)
Returnees:
Daylen Baldwin, David Bell, Amari Cooper, Jaelon Darden, Jakeem Grant, Mike Harley Jr., Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz, Michael Woods II
Projected Week 1 Depth Chart:
X:
1. Amari Cooper
2. Cedric Tillman
Z:
1. Donovan Peoples-Jones
2. Marquise Goodwin
Slot:
1. Elijah Moore
2. David Bell
Camp battle to watch:
Donovan Peoples-Jones vs. Cedric Tillman in redzone packages. Peoples-Jones and Tillman are both bigger-bodied receivers, but Tillman has the stocky frame and above average play strength that it takes to be a consistent redzone target for an NFL offense. Though Tillman has the better physical tools, Peoples-Jones is a much better route runner as of right now. "DPJ" also has the advantage of having a more diverse route tree overall as well.
It's going to be interesting to see which one of these players will be featured in Cleveland's redzone sub-packages going forward.
Biggest question marks heading into training camp:
How often will Cedric Tillman play as a rookie in 2023?
It all depends on how the coaching staff views him after training camp and throughout the preseason games. He might get an extended look during camp specifically due to the fact that Amari Cooper most likely won't be full-go yet.
Tillman started off hot with a great showing during the teams' mandatory minicamp in June. If he continues showing off his talent and keeps impressing the coaching staff during training camp, then he could end up playing quite a bit as a rookie. There are specific sub-packages that he'll be used in initially, but there's a good chance that he could be a consistent contributor in terms of overall snap count as well in 2023.
How will Elijah Moore be used in this offense?
This is perhaps the most exciting topic amongst the wide receiver group heading into the season. Moore has the ability to play all over the field at a high level, and the Browns' faithful got a little taste of that during mini-camp. He was making exciting plays while lining up at Z, in the slot, and even in the backfield on occasion.
Moore lined up next to Deshaun Watson in the gun and motioned out wide a couple of times, which opened up new looks for the offense. This was a very intriguing thing for a few reasons, in terms of what it does for Deshaun Watson and the offense as a whole.
1. Forces teams to reveal whether they're in man or zone coverage, depending on if someone follows Moore out of the backfield when he goes in motion.
2. Moore becomes an immediate mismatch for the defense, especially if they're forced to cover him with a linebacker.
3. Lining up a player like Moore in the backfield opens up new opportunities for the offense in terms of play variations. All of a sudden, comeback screens and arrow route combinations could become more dangerous and effective out of the backfield.
Though the team won't use him in this fashion a lot, it's great to see the team expanding the playbook and experimenting with things that would undoubtedly increase the chances of creating explosive plays.
How many wide receivers will Cleveland keep on the active roster in 2023?
The most realistic answer based on what they've done in the past is six, but it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone if they end up keeping seven. Yes, keeping only six receivers allows the team to be more flexible and keep an additional player at another important spot such as defensive line or cornerback.
BUT...
It's no secret that the team wants to throw the ball a lot more in 2023, so why not keep as many weapons for your quarterback as you possibly can? If they do actually decide to keep seven, then Jakeem Grant and Jaelon Darden might be the players that compete for the final spot in the receiver room. These two guys have shown the ability to be excellent return men on special teams as well.
