As the Cleveland Browns saw their passing offense finish in the bottom-quarter of the league, they made a concerted effort to get more explosive this offseason. By both trading for third-year wide receiver Elijah Moore and signing veteran speedster Marquise Goodwin, the Browns have taken a step forward in that department.
Now with a crowded wide receiver room, what is the outlook of the wide receiver position for the Browns in 2023 and beyond? We analyze here the depth of the position, the versatility, the roles that are filled, and what still might be needed at the wide receiver position in Cleveland.
Elijah Moore is not just a slot receiver
As Elijah Moore comes to Cleveland, there is the idea that he is going to be strictly a slot receiver, but that has never been the case in his career. In 2022 with the Jets, Moore’s reps were split 50/50 out wide and in the slot. Even in 2021, his rookie season, Moore played just 28 percent of his snaps from the slot.
With the route running savvy and ability to win off the line of scrimmage, Moore has the skillset to predominantly carve up defensive backs from Z looks more often than in the slot. And this gives the Browns a great deal of alignment versatility to play with.
Alignment versatility galore
With Moore and Goodwin now added to the roster (and especially Moore), the Browns now have the luxury of moving both Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones around as well. As Cooper ages a bit, the Browns can move him into the slot and exploit mismatches with him inside.
Even on early downs and non-obvious passing situations, there is a ton of benefit to sticking Peoples-Jones in the slot as well. Their best blocking receiver, he could act as a faux-tight end as the Browns look to run predominantly 11 personnel and run out of the shotgun.
And just because Moore has the skillset of a Z, he does have a nice volume of snaps in the slot too. Last year’s third rounder could also play in the slot as well in four-wide sets and even in some three-wide packages offensively.
In two wide receiver sets the Browns could trot out their two most lethal in Cooper and Moore, or they could trot out Peoples-Jones and Cooper. In three wide receiver sets, the Browns could throw speed on the field with Moore and Goodwin with Cooper, or they could throw their three best with Cooper, Moore, and Peoples-Jones.
There are options galore for the Browns as they look to get more explosive offensively.
A fallback vertical threat enters the fold
The Browns cannot go into 2023 hoping for Anthony Schwartz to take the jump. And the addition of Goodwin gave them that fallback of a deep threat who has consistently contributed every step of the way deep down the field and from the slot.
Goodwin has racked up over 300 yards in three of his last four seasons, and if he can hit that mark again then the one-year deal will have been worth it. The leading receiver of players not named Cooper, Peoples-Jones, or tight end David Njoku was a tie between Nick Chubb and Harrison Bryant.
Schwartz will still have every opportunity to earn a roster spot this summer, but he is on the outside looking in right now. And Goodwin gives the Browns both a fallback and he raises the floor of the room as a whole.
Shifty gadget guys already on the roster
Year after year, the Browns have tried to incorporate jet motion and gadget receivers into their game plan to stretch their run game horizontally in an attempt to soften boxes. But they have never had the personnel to do it.
With return specialist Jakeem Grant returning from a season-ending injury, he could just be that guy this year. The Browns also still have the shifty Jaelon Darden for the remaining two years of his rookie season as well. With Darden being a late add last year, the Browns eased him in and he did not get many opportunities. It is well within his skillset though.
Moore did some jet motion work in New York as well, but this would be a misuse of his talents to use him in this mold consistently in Cleveland.
What is still missing?
The main component still missing from the wide receiver room, however, is long-term health. The cap hit of Cooper is $23 million both this year and next. They can make it work this year, but as their window to spend closes, there is real doubt around his roster spot in 2024. Again, there are some shift financial maneuvers the team and Cooper can agree to, but he is far from a lock.
Peoples-Jones, while some sort of an extension is expected, is entering his last year as well. Goodwin is on a one-year deal, leaving Moore as the only solid player that will be a lock to return in 2024 (barring some sort of colossal meltdown).
This is why drafting a wide receiver with their first pick is still on the board. If Cincinnati’s Tyler Scott slips that far he would be a home run. Oklahoma’s Marvin Mims is another solid option that would contend for the best player available on the board for the Browns to take.
TL;DR: The Browns are in a good spot in 2022
Putting a bow on the wide receiver room, the Browns have all of the depth, fallbacks, and versatility in their room for quarterback Deshaun Watson. With the addition of tight end Jordan Akins, that grouping of him and Njoku is firm as well.
However, another young wide receiver with the 74th overall pick is not completely off the table as the waters get murky beyond this season still. Tons of financial maneuverings could happen to bring back Peoples-Jones and retain Cooper and his cap hit still, but the room beyond this season does not have a healthy outlook.
There is nothing to stress about this season, and another talented receiver could still be added to the room, but the additions of both Moore and Goodwin give the Browns crucial components that have been missing from the room.
