We’re ranking the Cleveland Browns receivers ahead of the start of training camp.
Training camp is just weeks away and while we’re still waiting to find out the future of the Cleveland Browns’ brand new quarterback, we do know who will be heading to camp this year. So we’re looking at each position on the team, ranking them, and then giving the unit a grade.
We’ll be looking at each position, more or less, heading into training camp. Keep in mind, that this isn’t a final evaluation of talent or expectations; those perceptions change from week to week. This is merely setting the barometer for the season. A starting point that will give us an idea of how to judge the performances of the year.
We’re starting with the wide receiver corp as it’s the group with the least suspected talent, the most to prove, and the most off-season overhauling of the position. It’s no surprise that I’m underwhelmed by the staff as it currently stands.
It has five rookies, a second-year player who flamed out as a rookie, a sixth-round pick with promise, and a converted running back who may or may not be playing the position by the time camp ends.
It’s all tied together with a bow by Amari Cooper, a player once considered an elite receiver in the NFL but now someone who’s trying to prove his value after being traded away by the Dallas Cowboys, who got pennies on the dollar in return for him.
Each player will get a letter grade and here is how they break down;
- F – expected to be out of the league before the end of his rookie contract
- D – practice squad guy
- C – could get minutes as a backup
- B – starter
- A – among the league’s best
Pluses and minuses will be used to show how close that player is to moving up or down depending on past performance.s
Honorable Mentions
Mike Harley (R), Travell Harris (R), Isaiah Weston (R), Javon Wims (28 catches, 266 yards, 9.5 YPC, 2 TDs)
We’re starting with these four men because it’s not likely they make the final roster. Right now the team has 12 receivers, and it’s likely they only carry six or seven players. So a lot of talent is going to get 86’ed by the end of training camp. Mike Hartley, Travell Harris, and Isaiah Weston were all undrafted free agents, and Javon Wims is a three-year pro with middling numbers. I expect nothing out of them.
Grade: Incomplete
8. Anthony Schwartz
After how bad Anthony Schwartz was as a rookie, I have a hard time believing that he’ll even make the team, let alone be a guy who produces. It’s very possible that Schwartz has put in the work, and gotten better. It’s very possible he put in the work and is still bad. We’ll find out. His making the team would be huge for him this year.
Grade: F
7. Jakeem Grant Sr.
He was one of the few veterans the team brought in and while he has something to offer, it isn’t something that fans should expect to see much of. While I think Jakeem Grant is better than Schwartz, Grant wasn’t drafted by Andrew Berry, so if it comes down to Grant or Schwartz, Grant’s going to lose. Berry needs his picks to produce or he may be out of a job, and so they’ll give Schwartz every chance to do just that.
Grade: D-
6. Ja’Marcus Bradley
Ja’Marcus Bradley seems to be a team favorite. He’s heading into his third season with the team and while it may be very likely he ends up on the practice squad, it seems very likely that he’ll eventually get some downs for the main club. He’s not anything exceptional, and a minor-league squad would really benefit him. It’d give us and the coaches a better chance to see what he can do in a larger role. There’s potential here but the investment in him isn’t as bountiful as the players drafted.
Grade: D
5. Michael Woods II (R)
It seems very likely that Michael Woods II would get a spot, he was drafted so that’s always a big prerequisite if a player is going to make the roster. He’s not an explosive player but he can be consistent enough for a team to get some value out of him. What he ends up becoming is anyone’s guess.
Grade: D+
4 Demetric Felton
It seems likely that Demetric Felton is going to make the roster but how productive will he be? We saw him struggle to catch the ball out of the backfield, and drops were an issue. Especially with easy passes. If he can take the next step, Felton may just become an unsung hero for the team.
Grade: D+
3. David Bell (R)
I have high expectations for David Bell, but I had high expectations for Anthony Schwartz too, so I’m not exactly batting 1.000 when it comes to predicting talent transitions from college to the pro game. Bell isn’t an overwhelming athlete like Schwartz, however. Bell is far more fundamentally sound than Schwartz. His routes should be better and his catching should be an upgrade. Anything less than 700 yards will be surprising
Grade: C
2. Donovan Peoples-Jones
While I have Donovan Peoples-Jones as the second option, on most great teams he’ll be the fourth. He’s not someone I would rely on heavily as a second option unless I had to, and be it due to a lack of top talent being brought in during the offseason, the Browns will in fact have to rely on him. He could take another huge step, especially with a more pass-focused offense, but he’s not someone to have the highest hopes for.
Grade: C
1. Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper is someone who has the potential to return to form in this new offense, or he has the potential to be someone who completely bottoms out. The Dallas Cowboys gave him up for next to nothing and the question of why will linger in the air for weeks if not months. Was it a salary dump or did they just know he had nothing left in the tank? Cooper has to have a big year or that massive salary the Browns just took on is going to hurt for years to come.
Grade: B-
Positional Grade
The receiving and defensive tackle positions are not ones I have the highest of hopes for heading into the regular season. I am very open to the idea that they may be very impressive and very good but to say that I have faith in them would be an absolute lie.
With guys like David Bell and Michael Woods, there are a lot of fans that default to the “good because rookie” argument. That’s not the case, and it hardly ever is. There are far more disappointments and busts every year than there are huge improvements. That’s why I take an approach to not overly value rookies. If they produce, they produce, if not, then not.
Other guys like Anthony Schwartz, there’s no reason to suspect or expect a huge improvement as we saw very little from him. If he does improve, that’s going to be gravy, but if he doesn’t, then we know he isn’t meant for the NFL. I don’t have the highest of hopes for Schwartz.
With Donovan Peoples-Jones and Amari Cooper, they have been starters in the NFL so they’re the standard bearer on the team and I don’t love them as the top guys for a roster. Sure, Cooper is better than Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, but that’s not hard to be at this point in their careers.
I don’t have much faith in this corp heading into camp. The preseason will determine whether or not these preseason concerns have merit.
Overall Grade: D-