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Cleveland Browns: Wide receivers are not a liability for the Browns

By Jonathan Goehring

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) runs the ball for a first down against New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) runs the ball for a first down against New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the recent success of Cleveland Browns receivers under poor circumstances, it is impossible not to wonder how much potential has been lost due to poor quarterbacking.

The stats speak for themselves. As most fans of the Cleveland Browns can remember, the wide receiver position has actually generally been a strength of the team over the past decade. 2016 was a perfect example of this, a season in which Terrelle Pryor surpassed the 1,000 mark in overtime of the season finale.

It’s not that the receiver position has been perfect, but the play of the majority of Cleveland’s wideouts over the past season has actually been adequate. The ability of this group to perform so well at times is very impressive given the circumstances, and underscores the need for a stronger offense around them.

With five different quarterbacks throwing him the ball, Pryor was still able to catch 77 passes for 1,007 yards. This warranted him the 22nd most receiving yards in the NFL in 2016, coming up less than 500 yards away from the top spot.

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While it may be up for debate who the best Browns quarterback was this season, Cody Kessler and Robert Griffin III certainly couldn’t have connected with Julio Jones for 1,409 yards this past season as Matt Ryan was able to. Likewise, Pryor’s stats would have only been more impressive with a more established quarterback throwing him the ball.

This is really nothing new for the Browns. After all, how could Cleveland fans forget Josh Gordon or Braylon Edwards? Gordon provides the strongest evidence, as he actually led all of football in 2013 with a ridiculous 1,646 receiving yards. With who at quarterback? Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell.

Braylon Edwards had his best season in 2007, catching 80 passes for 1,289 yards. And not surprisingly, the quarterback at the time is far from a household name. Derek Anderson, now a backup with the Panthers, was the quarterback connecting with Edwards for all these yards.

This isn’t intended to rail on Cleveland quarterbacks of the past, or to commiserate over past lost potential. Browns fans do need to realize however that the play of their receivers has not been a liability. In fact, if anything, the play of the rest of the Browns’ offense has been a liability to the receivers.

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So in the end, it all comes down to the quarterback position, the root of all Cleveland’s struggles. While examining the success and pondering the potential of the receivers won’t serve as any silver lining to fans, it does reinforce the point that the Browns aren’t as much of a total mess as they are often portrayed as.

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