Cleveland Browns need to build as a run-first, cold weather, natural turf team
Wide receivers in a run-first offense
The prototypical cold weather receiver is the guy who can get open when the quarterback takes only a three-step drop and physical enough to fight for contested balls and win. Both Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, Jr. fit that description very well. So does Rashard Higgins. He is not that fast and is not adept at outracing defensive backs for the bomb, but he can get open just enough for Mayfield to hit him with a bullet. Rather, he could do that in 2018. The Browns were in the process of running Higgins out of town, but perhaps with a new coach and general manager, they may find a way to bring him back.
On paper, the Browns may have over-invested in wide receivers, with the two highest salaries on offense belonging to Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, Jr. However, there can be no major complaints about their performance, as both players gained over 1,000 receiving yards despite being injured and requiring surgery after the season.
In a run-first offense, Mayfield is still going to throw the bomb to OBJ and Landry, but the reason why it will work is that the other team has to field personnel groups to defend against the run, rather than automatically going to the nickel or dime formation a pass-happy unit.
In 2019 there was no No. 3 wide receiver of any consequence. Damion Ratley had 12 catches for 200 yards, with 64 of those yards coming on the last game of the year against Cincinnati. As for Higgins, he had only four catches for 55 yards despite having established great rapport with Mayfield the previous year with 39 grabs for 572 yards while playing in fewer than half the total snaps on offense.
IF the Browns overemphasized their two primary receivers in 2019, they still need to find extra wide receivers. That does not mean that they necessarily will trade Landry or Beckham because the talent is there and they may not get that much in trade. What they really need is the 2018 version of Higgins if they can bring him back or find a replacement.
The lack of alternative receiving targets was one of the biggest negative surprises of 2019.