The Cleveland Browns will begin this year's organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, May 27, and it won't be long after that before training camp begins. In other words, the Browns' offseason is flying by at warp speed, and it'll only be a matter of time before fans see this spring's additions in action.
Although the Browns have spent the last few months retooling the roster following last year's abysmal performance, there's always room for improvement. There's still plenty of time for general manager Andrew Berry to flesh out the roster before OTAs begin, and it wouldn't be a bad idea for Cleveland to take a flyer on an available veteran who could help the passing game.
Browns Must Take Flyer on WR DJ Chark Jr. Before OTAs
Regardless of which quarterback is under center come September, the Browns could benefit from bolstering their wide receiver depth. Although Jerry Jeudy is coming off a career campaign, and offseason addition Diontae Johnson is a former 1,100-yard wideout, the depth beyond the duo is largely unproven.
With that in mind, the Browns would have nothing to lose by rolling the dice on free agent WR DJ Chark Jr.
A former LSU Tiger, Chark was drafted 61st overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. After a largely uneventful rookie campaign, the Alexandria, LA native took his performance to the next level in 2019 as he recorded career highs in receptions (73), receiving yards (1,008), and touchdowns (8) en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Unfortunately, medical woes have prevented Chark from reaching similar heights since then. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout has missed an average of 6.8 games across the last five seasons, which includes 10 absences during his time with the Los Angeles Chargers last year. His ailments prevented him from finding consistency as he ended Year 7 with 31 receiving yards and a TD on four catches.
Chark's latest performance wasn't much to write home about, but that doesn't mean he still can't help the Browns' WR room. It was only two seasons ago when he averaged a respectable 15.0 yards per reception, and full OTAs run and training camp with the Browns could give him the confidence to return to that form.
Even if he doesn't have much gas left in the tank, Chark's presence could be enough to motivate a bubble WR like David Bell or DeAndre Carter to step up to secure their spots. It's a low-risk, high-reward situation for all those involved.
With OTAs looming right around the corner, the Browns must snatch Chark up soon before another team tries to revive the former 1,000-yard receiver's career.