3 Browns Starters Fans Want Replaced This Offseason
The Cleveland Browns didn't get to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season, but that's fine with the fanbase. After all, the Browns had one of their best years in franchise history, going 11-5 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2020,.
Time will tell if general manager Andrew Berry's upcoming offseason decisions bring the Browns closer to contender status. Cleveland must open September with the best starting lineup possible, meaning underachievers from last year need to be replaced in the coming months.
With that in mind, here are three Browns starters that fans would love to see replaced this offseason.
1. WR Elijah Moore
In an attempt to surround quarterback Deshaun Watson with as many weapons as possible, the Browns acquired wideout Elijah Moore (and a third-round pick) from the New York Jets in exchange for a second-rounder last March.
It made sense why Browns fans loved the deal at the time. Moore, the 34th-overall pick in 2021, showed promise during his team with the Jets. New York wasn't exactly putting forth the best offenses at the time, so the fanbase was excited to see what the ex-Mississippi product could do with Watson throwing him the ball.
Fast forward to the end of the 2023 campaign and Moore had left much to be desired. Sure, he set new personal bests in receptions (59) and receiving yards (640), but his two touchdowns were nothing short of underwhelming. He also finished with an uninspiring 56.7% catch rate and 73.4 passer rating when targeted.
Some might say that Watson's injuries played a role in Moore's uneventful campaign. While that's true to a degree, fellow WR Amari Cooper still managed to go over 1,200 yards with five TDs, nearly doubling Moore's output despite only seeing 19 more targets.
Moore is still under contract in 2024, however, he's clearly more suited for a WR3 role. In other words, don't be surprised if the Browns use one of their earlier draft picks to select a wideout with more (no pun intended) upside.