Looking at the 2021 Cleveland Browns wide receivers
By Greg Newland
What does the Cleveland Browns WR corps look like in 2021?
One of the biggest question marks for the Cleveland Browns heading into the 2021 season is what will happen at wide receiver. With players out of contract and injury concerns, there could be many surprises yet to come.
One thing is for sure, on paper the Browns have as good of a depth chart as any team in the league at the position. The issue with that is a lot of cap space is being used at a position that doesn’t necessarily make or break a team. With other young talents on the team that will be requiring new contracts soon, some cap-conscious moves could be made sooner than anticipated.
Below is a full breakdown of where the Cleveland Browns stand now as far as the wide receiver position goes, as well as a few hypotheticals that could happen this offseason.
Secondary Reserves
JoJo Natson and Taywan Taylor are both out of contract for the 2021 season. Natson was brought in by Andrew Berry as a return specialist, but an injury would limit him to only three games in 2020. With the emergency of others on the team, don’t expect Natson to be back.
Taylor is a failed John Dorsey experiment. He gave up a seventh-round pick for the former third-rounder, but he has struggled to even make the gameday roster. With two targets and zero receptions the last two seasons, don’t expect Taylor to be back in 2021 either.
Derrick Willies and Ryan Switzer will round up the third-tier receivers for the 2021 season most likely. Willies has shown in the past he can be productive but has struggled to stay healthy. With a full offseason with Baker Mayfield, Willies could be a pleasant surprise in 2021.
Switzer has been a special teams player for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers, and he will likely get another shot as the returner for the Cleveland Browns next season. In 2018, Switzer did have 36 receptions for 253 yards and a touchdown while a member of the Steelers. His production at receiver will likely be limited in 2021, but he could be an effective member of special teams.