Cleveland Browns: Pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction
By Randy Gurzi
Wide Receiver (5): Odell Beckham, Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Antonio Callaway, Derrick Willies
In each of the past two seasons, the Cleveland Browns have added a superstar wide receiver. Last year, they made a trade with the Miami Dolphins to bring in Jarvis Landry who led the NFL with 112 receptions the prior season. His addition gave the Browns a legitimate star which started to change the culture. It also opened the door for Odell Beckham, Jr. to walk in.
OBJ and Landry are best friends who played together at LSU. As soon as Landry was sent to Cleveland, the rumors about Beckham following him began. The two working out with former Cleveland quarterback Tyrod Taylor and current starter Baker Mayfield didn’t help silence those whispers.
Eventually, the dream became a reality as OBJ was sent to the Browns in exchange for two draft picks and safety Jabrill Peppers. Now, Beckham and Landry are being looked at as one of the top receiving duos in the league. However, they’re not the only ones capable of making big plays for this offense.
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Rashard Higgins made huge strides last season and could be the best option as an outside receiver outside of OBJ. He gained the trust of Baker Mayfield as he made several contested catches while proving to be a precise route runner.
There’s also Antonio Callaway, who is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Callaway has made some blunders off the field which led to him being suspended for all of the 2017 season at Florida but has made the most out of his chance with Cleveland.
The group is rounded out by Derrick Willies, an undrafted rookie in 2018 who was able to make the team due in large part to his connection with Baker Mayfield during the preseason. He started to show signs of being a playmaker but a broken collarbone ended his rookie campaign prematurely.