Wide Receivers Compared to Last Season's Group

[jiggins7919]

I'm way too experienced to get excited and make predictions based on what players do in training camp (remember Mingo blowing up that one camp?). That being said, you won't read one single article about our camp that DOESN'T mention the stellar play of Corey Coleman. The kid has fire, work ethic, physical talent, and crazy muscles everywhere. I love reading that he got into it with Gilbert the other day. Now, I DON'T want any penalties come start of the season, but I definitely want a player who can get emotional and play fired up (I'm also glad to see Gilbert stick up for himself).

 

Last year our receivers were some of the worst I've ever seen. Yes, Travis Benjamin worked very hard and became a viable target all over the field, but other than him, I basically HATED our WR corp. Gabriel couldn't do anything right, Hartline was "ok" at times, and while I love Marlan Moore on special teams, he really didn't have any business playing as much as he did. Think about it, which WR on our roster really put some fear into opposing defenses?

 

I'm cautiously optimistic, I repeat...CAUTIOUSLY, regarding the chance for the group to far exceed the production of last year's group. In addition to constantly reading how well Coleman is doing, I also keep seeing comments about Terrell Pryor's continued progress. What I love reading about Pryor is his ability to go up and fight for the ball. I was screaming all last year that our offense did NOT have a WR that could out jump a defender and come down with the "50/50 balls". Not only is our WR group possibly more talented, but I love the size variation of the group. We have jitterbugs like Hawkins, big guys like Pryor, big play potential in Coleman, and oh by the way....some guy named Josh Gordon who can essentially do it all. I also like what I read about Higgins, and how hard he works. Higgins appears to be a natural "catcher of the football", and could very well contribute early and often..

 

I would NEVER have said ANYTHING like this prior to last season's WR group, and again, I completely know it's early, and our guys haven't proven a damn thing, but I can honestly say I'm freaking excited to see these guys play. Last year I could barely look at the offensive roster. Here are the projected starting skill players in my warped mind:

 

WR's:

 

1. Coleman

2. Pryor (I know it's crazy, but I actually think the guy will start, or at very least see a bunch of playing time)

3. Hawkins

 

Note: After week 4, the starters will probably change to Coleman, Gordon, and Hawkins. That doesn't sound like very fun for a defense.

 

TE - Barnidge

 

RB - Crowell/Duke

 

QB - RG III

 

Again, I'm not predicting that our offense is going "blow up", and we're going to take the league by storm. What I AM saying, is that I believe our WR corp is already better than last year's, despite having so many players with essentially zero experience. As we all know, WR's need a QB to actually get them the ball, and THAT'S the biggest thing that scares me. But I think at the end of this season if we were to compare numbers from last year's WR's, this new crop will far exceed what they provided.

[Canton Mike]

I am also very excited about our WRs. I see Pryor as a red zone BEAST & don't forget about Jordan Payton (from UCLA) who is behind as he finished his degree. That kid reputedly has glue fingers & decent size. We can have some very different looks with these guys & I can't wait to see who we keep. I look at this year's group as one with the diversity to make each other (AND our RBs & TEs) better.

 

This is getting very interesting.

 

Mike

[gftChris]

It's difficult to do a straight up comparison without knowing what the depth chart looks like:

 

Hawkins -> Hawkins

Benjamin -> Coleman

Hartline -> Higgins

Gabriel -> Gabriel/Louis/Payton?

Bowe (lol) -> Pryor/Gordon

Moore -> Moore

 

There's no way I see Gabriel making the team tbh. He might catch on somewhere else though. Certainly not the like of Jennins etc that aren't even listed here. That still leaves us with 8 receivers - too many? We might keep that many if we designate Moore as a ST player, and possibly Pryor as a QB3 (with Kessler on PS?).

[hoorta]

It's difficult to do a straight up comparison without knowing what the depth chart looks like:

 

Hawkins -> Hawkins

Benjamin -> Coleman

Hartline -> Higgins

Gabriel -> Gabriel/Louis/Payton?

Bowe (lol) -> Pryor/Gordon

Moore -> Moore

 

There's no way I see Gabriel making the team tbh. He might catch on somewhere else though. Certainly not the like of Jennins etc that aren't even listed here. That still leaves us with 8 receivers - too many? We might keep that many if we designate Moore as a ST player, and possibly Pryor as a QB3 (with Kessler on PS?).

 

Just my 0.02- you can't put a qb that you drafted in the third round on the practice squad. That's the territory of UFAs like Connor Shaw.

 

Regarding the WRs- it's night and day. The FO has decided to can the Smurf squad approach. Pryor is 6'4", Gordon 6'3", Coleman 5'11". How about that lineup, with Coleman in the slot?

 

PS Hawkins even making the team is iffy.

[jiggins7919]

I think a few months ago I would've agreed about Hawkins being iffy, but from what I read, Hawkins looks really good out there. He's also a veteran, and I think we could use at least one of those types on the roster to help the young kids. We are going to have some flexibility with our WR corp to challenge the defense, and we definitely couldn't do that last season. I'm interested about Payton, no doubt, but he missed a bunch of time. Hell, I also want to see Ricardo Lewis as well, but I haven't heard much about any of the rookies other than Coleman and Higgins. Of course, we've only had 5 days of freaking practice, so definitely nothing worth becoming alarmed about.

 

Just heard on the radio that Josh Gordon and Seth Devalve are both "close to returning to practice." I'm not sure what "close" means, but I take that as a good sign.

 

I also read that our first 11 vs 11 drill yesterday resulted in an 80 yard drive and score with RG III leading the charge.

[BaconHound]

WRs just as poor as last season unless Josh Gordon circa 2013 shows up. Everyone is great in training camp.

[jiggins7919]

Bacon, I know what you mean about "everyone being great at training camp", but I think there's a bit more to it when we're speaking about Coleman. It seems like I'm seeing an article every day about him from all kinds of sources, and what REALLY impresses me, is that Coleman is doing the scoring in "live action." Again, he's not going against the likes of Joe Haden during practice, but Coleman looks good. Now I'm not saying that Coleman is the next Odell Beckham, or that he's going to have 1400 yards and 14 td's, but a rookie looking good in camp is never a bad thing. Hell, there's an NFL.com article that has positive remarks about Coleman, and it doesn't seem like anybody in camp can touch the kid. Oh, he's also returning punts...which is always exciting.

 

I completely realize that camp doesn't mean a hill of beans, and even the preseason doesn't mean anything. In another post I mentioned the hype surrounding Quincy Morgan that one year and how he was destined to be a breakout player. I remember how nobody in camp could guard him and all of that nonsense, and we all know how that turned out.

 

I think Coleman is a different breed, and as long as he's healthy, I firmly believe he's the real deal. Again, the only thing that can derail Coleman from having a successful rookie campaign is an injury. Even if we have crappy QB play, he'll still have his numbers...numbers at least impressive for a rookie. You know what I really love? I loved it when Hue Jackson immediately called out Corey Coleman for not being in football shape. The comments went very public, but Hue didn't shy away from them. Corey Coleman took the statement like a man and didn't bury his head in the sand. Instead he worked even harder to show coach that he's the guy...something I really find impressive in a young player.

 

If Coleman is healthy, I see 59 catches for 800 yards and 5 TD's through the air. One punt return for a TD, and one rushing TD via a reverse.

[BaconHound]

Bacon, I know what you mean about "everyone being great at training camp", but I think there's a bit more to it when we're speaking about Coleman. It seems like I'm seeing an article every day about him from all kinds of sources, and what REALLY impresses me, is that Coleman is doing the scoring in "live action." Again, he's not going against the likes of Joe Haden during practice, but Coleman looks good. Now I'm not saying that Coleman is the next Odell Beckham, or that he's going to have 1400 yards and 14 td's, but a rookie looking good in camp is never a bad thing. Hell, there's an NFL.com article that has positive remarks about Coleman, and it doesn't seem like anybody in camp can touch the kid. Oh, he's also returning punts...which is always exciting.

 

I completely realize that camp doesn't mean a hill of beans, and even the preseason doesn't mean anything. In another post I mentioned the hype surrounding Quincy Morgan that one year and how he was destined to be a breakout player. I remember how nobody in camp could guard him and all of that nonsense, and we all know how that turned out.

 

I think Coleman is a different breed, and as long as he's healthy, I firmly believe he's the real deal. Again, the only thing that can derail Coleman from having a successful rookie campaign is an injury. Even if we have crappy QB play, he'll still have his numbers...numbers at least impressive for a rookie. You know what I really love? I loved it when Hue Jackson immediately called out Corey Coleman for not being in football shape. The comments went very public, but Hue didn't shy away from them. Corey Coleman took the statement like a man and didn't bury his head in the sand. Instead he worked even harder to show coach that he's the guy...something I really find impressive in a young player.

 

If Coleman is healthy, I see 59 catches for 800 yards and 5 TD's through the air. One punt return for a TD, and one rushing TD via a reverse.

 

 

If he is healthy those numbers are easily attainable but unfortunately that doesn't mean much. Travis Benjamin put up similar numbers in Cleveland but he is no AJ Green, Julio Jones, etc. If you score at all guys are going to get some decent numbers. Barnidge had decent numbers last year but that's due to lack of talent. I think Coleman can be a solid receiver, I just don't see him as that weapon.

[Mudfly]

Im in on Godon, because he is the key......if he returns to form, he will be the #1 all day every day.....and Coleman will be a nice complement....

 

If Gordon flames out, then Im not convinced weve gotten better at WR.....maybe, yes.....positively?.....nope

[Unsympathetic]

Louis will make this year's team.

 

Pryor/Hawkins

Coleman/Higgins/Louis/Payton

 

Gordon as the 7th? I really don't know who gets either cut or sent to PS when he gets back. My guess is Payton.

 

Moore will not make the team - he's simply not talented enough. And it feels good to be able to say that about Cleveland's WR group.. Finally!

[jcam222]

Bank this, Browns have the best WR squad in the NFL in 2016. We will feature Pryor and Gordon on the outside with Coleman in the slot. Add Duke in the backfield and Barny terrorizing the middle and holy shit. A one eyed one armed QB should be able to excel. Kidding aside I believe we will be high powered and RGIII will excel. The only scary part to me on O is the center and right tackle which could piss in the soup.

[jiggins7919]

Im in on Godon, because he is the key......if he returns to form, he will be the #1 all day every day.....and Coleman will be a nice complement....

 

If Gordon flames out, then Im not convinced weve gotten better at WR.....maybe, yes.....positively?.....nope

 

Yeah, that pretty much sums up the entire ordeal. We've seen in the last few years that NFL WR rookies can make a huge impact, and not just the early picks either. We drafted a bunch of them, and if a couple of them develop quickly we can really close the door on a position that plagued us for a little while. It's difficult not to daydream about the "Gordon-Coleman" combo, and I was extremely saddened to hear that Coleman had a damn hamstring injury. Like Mud said, if Gordon returns to form, he's the #1 all day/every day. That means the #2 CB is trying to guard Coleman, and they better have someone that can cover on Hawkins (who is apparently NOT fun to cover).

 

I was pleased to read that Pryor's injury isn't a big deal, and he'll be playing tomorrow. It's one thing to do it in practice, but to do it when the lights come on...is another matter. Just to make things a little more complicated, I read that Taylor Gabriel was actually stringing together some good practices, too. I basically wrote the guy off, but who knows?

 

I'm pretty excited to see the rookies play tomorrow!