Getty Images Adam Thielen with Justin Jefferson.
The Cleveland Browns are in search of an upgrade at wide receiver and two-time Pro Bowler Adam Thielen just became available.
Thielen was released by the Minnesota Vikings after almost a decade, going from an undrafted free agent to a very productive member of the offense. His best year in Minnesota came in 2018, when he caught 113 passes for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns.
In all, Thielen finished with 534 catches for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns during his nine-season tenure in Minnesota.
Thielen is not exactly the speedy wide receiver the Browns are looking for to complement Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. However, Thielen is a reliable set of hands who has experience playing for head coach Kevin Stefanski, who is also the offensive play-caller in Cleveland.
Bleacher Report dubbed the Browns as the bet fit for Thielen as he looks for his next sqaud.
“At Thielen’s age, he’ll likely want to join a team that’s a legitimate or potential postseason contender while playing in an offense familiar to him. The Cleveland Browns check both boxes,” B/R’s Maurice Moton wrote. “With a stable quarterback situation heading into 2023, the Browns can win a few more games, but they need a wide receiver to complement Amari Cooper. Thielen knows Cleveland’s offense. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski served as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2019.”
Rumors Link Browns to Big Name Wide Receivers
Despite their cap situation, the Browns plan to be aggresive this offseason to acquire talent and have been linked to some notable wide receiver names. The one most frequently mentioned is Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is expected to be traded this offseason.
Hopkins combined with current Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Houston for some stellar years. Hopkins gained 4,115 total yards with Watson under center for the Texans, including a monster 1,572-yard season in 2018. Hopkins is a three-time First-Team All-Pro selection and has six thousand-yard seasons to his name.
However, he played in just nine games last season with the Cardinals due to injury and a PED suspension, notching 717 yards on 64 grabs with three touchdowns.
Watson discussed the possibility of landing Hopkins with his private quarterback coach Quincy Avery on “The Q with Quincy Avery.”
“Well it just really depends on if they’re serious or not as far as kind of like if we can really get him, so that’s something that you’ve got to be able to look at overall — cap space, pay, different things like that,” Watson said.
Browns Could Lean More on Passing Game Next Season
The Browns gave up the farm to land Watson last offseason, also giving him a boatload of guaranteed money to be their quarterback of the future. After a condensed six-game showing from Watson next season, the Browns could lean more on the pass going forward.
“Cleveland’s offense is going to be really interesting next year. Look for the Browns to add a speed wide receiver this off-season to go with Amari Cooper. One source told me ‘They are really going to open up the offense. Go five wide. Pass a lot. This is going to be Deshaun Watson’s offense, not Nick Chubb’s. They will pass a lot more than folks expect,’” Matthew Berry of NBC Sports reported.
Watson showed some very visible rust at times last season, with the Browns going 3-3 in his starts. Watson completed 58.2% of his passes for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.