New Browns Report is a Big Concern Following Minicamp

With star wide receiver Amari Cooper absent from Cleveland Browns minicamp last week, it was a good opportunity for the other wide receivers on the roster to make some plays and get some attention from the coaching staff.

The Browns hope that new addition Jerry Jeudy can bolster a receiver unit that underperformed last season, outside of Amari Cooper. Fans believed Elijah Moore would be a consistent threat in Cleveland’s passing game, but he only managed to have 59 receptions (104 targets) for 640 yards and two touchdowns.

While those stats are an improvement from what Moore did with the New York Jets in his first two years, there was more expected as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver. 

Nonetheless, the Browns’ wide receiver unit sans Cooper has reportedly not looked impressive in the spring, which should be mildly concerning for head coach Kevin Stefanksi and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.

"Spring football is supposed to be for the wide receivers because the practice rules prohibit contact by the defense," writes Zac Jackson of The Athletic. "I just didn’t see many big plays from the Browns, and I still wonder what the Browns will get from Jeudy, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman when the season begins."

Granted, it's the spring, and the Browns are installing a new offensive gameplan led by Dorsey, but this isn’t the most ringing endorsement for Jeudy, Moore, and Cedric Tillman. Tillman, who is only entering his second season, shouldn’t be under fire as he had 21 receptions (44 targets) for 224 yards.

However, the fact that Jeudy, Moore, or Tillman couldn’t create big plays in a practice setting, shows how much the Browns need Cooper in this offense to help them get where they want to go. It also illustrates the point that the Browns and Cooper’s team need to agree on a new deal as soon as possible.

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