Getty Deshaun Watson and Donovan Peoples-Jones of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns may have to make a difficult decision when it comes to receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Peoples-Jones was a sixth-round pick of the Browns in 2020 and has worked his way up the depth chart. Last season, Peoples-Jones caught 61 passes for 839 yards and three touchdowns, finishing as the Browns’ No. 2 receiver in those categories behind Amari Cooper. Rookie David Bell was the next closest receiver behind Peoples-Jones, catching 24 passes for 214 yards.
But there are a couple of different factors heading into this season that could potentially make Peoples-Jones a trade candidate. Premier among those is the addition of Elijah Moore, who is expected to be a large part of the passing game. The Browns also drafted Cedric Tillman, who has a similar skill set to Peoples-Jones.
Peoples-Jones is also entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Browns will have to weigh their options when it comes to extending him next offseason. Peoples-Jones could potentially leave next offseason with the Browns getting nothing in return.
Peoples-Jones was listed as a potential trade candidate by Browns Wire, with the note that it would take a “healthy” offer to pry him out of Cleveland.
“After selecting Cedric Tillman in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, a wide receiver with a similar skillset to Peoples-Jones, the Browns could look to get something in return for an expiring asset,” Browns Wire writer Cory Kinnan wrote. “There have been no talks of a contract extension yet between the Browns and Peoples-Jones, so the possibility exists.
“In a year where the Browns have pushed their chips into the center of the table, however, it is hard to imagine they will remove a potential offensive contributor from the equation without an overpay from another team.”
Elijah Moore Draws Praise From Deshaun Watson
The acquisition of Moore has put Peoples-Jones more under the radar than he previously was, with much of the focus being on the Browns’ new weapon. The Browns plan to use Moore in a variety of ways, utlizing his explosive skill set.
“It’s great because Elijah can do all types of things he’s very versatile. He can play outside, and inside, whatever you need him to do, he can do. But also just the young guys and the depth that we have in that receiving room,” Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “Yeah, a lot of guys might not have big names yet, but they can go out there and they can make plays.”
Moore was traded to the Browns on March 22 after a couple of interesting years as a member of the New York Jets. He had a strong rookie year, notching 43 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns in just 11 games. However, he couldn’t improve upon that a year ago, catching just 37 balls for 446 yards and one touchdown.
Browns Pleased With Cedric Tillman Early On
The Browns celected Tillman with a third-round pick in this year’s draft. Looking ahead, Cleveland will want him to step into a larger role, which hasn’t necessarily played out for recent picks like Anthony Schwartz and Bell.
So far, Tillman has impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic.
“Cedric’s done a nice job going back to the spring,” said Stefanski on July 24. “He’s very diligent, works hard at it, spends a lot of time at his craft. He’s up very, very early. Gets extra work with Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) I know — because he wants to get it right. So he’s a young man that’s doing it the right way. And it’s just gonna be a matter of banking as many reps as possible.”
Tillman caught 109 passes for 1,622 yards and 12 touchdowns while at Tennessee. The majority of that came during an outstanding junior season, when he registered 64 grabs for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns.