Getty Wide receiver Cedric Tillman of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns stacked the wide receiver room this offseason, which has muddied the waters as to who will make the 53-man roster and what the pecking order will be once it’s finalized.
Jake Trotter of ESPN on Monday, August 7, identified the scuffle for the team’s No. 4 WR spot as the most competitive training camp battle in Cleveland moving forward.
“The Browns have a clear-cut starting receiving trio in Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Elijah Moore,” Trotter wrote. “But after them, the competition for playing time is wide open, especially with veteran Marquise Goodwin having a blood clot issue.”
“As the Browns move to a more wide-open scheme around [quarterback] Deshaun Watson, depth WR play will be paramount,” Trotter continued. “Rookie Cedric Tillman, Jakeem Grant Sr. (coming back from an Achilles injury), David Bell, Anthony Schwartz and Jaelon Darden are among those vying for spots in the rotation.”
Cedric Tillman Performed Well in NFL Debut for Browns
GettyWide receiver Cedric Tillman of the Cleveland Browns catches a pass against the New York Jets during an NFL preseason game in August 2023.
While the race for the last three or four jobs in the receiver room — as well as the first spot coming in off the bench — remains open and hotly contested, there is definitely a leader in the clubhouse. In this case, that person has to be Tillman, who the Browns selected out of Tennessee with the No. 74 overall pick in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft.
For the most part, franchises start rookies at the bottom of the ladder and let them earn their way up throughout the summer. However, Cleveland released its first preseason depth chart ahead of last week’s Hall of Fame Game and among the bigger surprises on it was Tillman’s position as a second-string wideout behind Moore.
Tillman didn’t disappoint against the New York Jets on August 3. He ran strong routes, looked at home on an NFL field and hauled in two catches for a total of 35 yards, which slotted him in a tie for first with Austin Watkins Jr. for the most Browns receiving yards gained on the night.
Also slotted in as a second-string pass catcher was Darden, who is something of a dual-threat and currently listed as both the third-string punt and third-string kick returner for Cleveland. Bell, a third-round selection of the franchise in 2022, occupies the final second-string spot behind Peoples-Jones.
Darden and Bell appear to pose the fiercest competition to Tillman for the No. 4 receiver spot with Goodwin sidelined indefinitely, though there is a lot of the preseason yet to be played. Darden did not suit up against the Jets and will make his preseason debut later in August. Bell did play last Thursday night, making two catches for six yards.
Browns Receiver Anthony Schwartz Strong Cut Candidate as Preseason Continues
GettyWide receiver Anthony Schwartz of the Cleveland Browns.
Daylen Baldwin, who opened the summer as a fringe competitor for a roster spot, found himself eliminated from contention after hurting his hamstring against the Jets. The Browns waived him the following day with an injury designation.
That leaves Schwartz as the player who looks to be in the most trouble following one preseason game. He made just one catch for seven yards against the Jets, which he fumbled thereby surrendering possession back to New York.
Schwartz was already in trouble after a slow first two seasons in the NFL. The wideout’s saving grace is his speed, though a healthy Goodwin can offer the same element to the Browns offense.
Grant has also been noted as a cut candidate this offseason. However, he remains slotted in as Cleveland’s primary punt returner and primary kick returner and restructured his contract with the franchise earlier this offseason to lower his cap hit. For both those reasons, Grant is in a stronger position to make the Browns’ final 53-man roster come the end of August.