5 Cleveland Browns records that could be broken in 2019
By Randy Gurzi
Most Receptions in a season
The Cleveland Browns have had some good receivers in their career with names such as Paul Warfield, Josh Gordon, Kevin Johnson, and for a couple of seasons, Braylon Edwards even had some good numbers. Even so, the record for the most receptions in one year for a member of the Browns belong to a pair of tight ends as Ozzie Newsome and Kellen Winslow sit at No. 1 as they each had 89 receptions in a season — with the Hall of Famer doing so in back-to-back seasons.
Current Record for receptions: Ozzie Newsome, 89 in 1983 and 1984; Kellen Winslow, 89 in 2006.
Last season, Jarvis Landry got within range of the record as he hauled in 81 receptions during his first season with the team. While he came close this year, he’s not the one who is likely to top the historical mark in 2019. That instead, would be his best friend Odell Beckham, Jr.
OBJ is coming off his fourth 1,000-plus yardage season as he had 77 receptions for 1,052 yards. Those numbers came despite him missing a quarter of the season, as well as playing in an offense that struggled to move the ball through the air consistently. When the Giants offense was more potent, OBJ was continually above 90 receptions, including one season with 101. That came in 2016, which was also the only year he played all 16 games.
Looking ahead to 2019, Beckham is now on a team with a younger quarterback who is willing to take more chances downfield. He also has a stronger cast around him than he did the past couple of seasons in New York, which could make it more difficult for defenses to focus on him.
Although, that supporting cast could also serve as a double-edged sword. With so many talented players around him, it’s possible he won’t get the kind of targets he’s used to — which could be the one thing standing in his way of beating that record. Still, it’s easy to bet on No. 13 because he’s one of the best in the game.
Prediction: OBJ sets a new record