Do the Cleveland Browns really need speedy wide receivers in order to have a passing attack?Â
The Cleveland Browns may not be as desperate for speedy wide receivers as the mainstream media would have you believe. The national media narrative suggests that the Browns were dealt a severe blow by the departure of renegade Odell Beckham, Jr., and need to replace him desperately.
And, the narrative continues, they really need to get out from under the ridiculous $17 million per year contract of five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Landry is not the guy to replace Beckham, because he is horrifically slow, having turned in a 4.77 second 40-yard dash time at his combine back in the day.
That soap opera may have resolved itself as Amari Cooper has been traded to the Browns. If Jarvis Landry stays, he no longer has to be the No. 1 receiver, but more likely he will find employment elsewhere.
Anyway, they may have it now. If they stick with Amari Cooper and trade or cut Landry, they can line up Cooper (4.42), Donovan Peoples-Jones (4.48), Anthony Schwartz (4.27) and Jamarcus Bradley (4.48). That’s fast enough. To tell the truth, the least impressive player on the list is Schwartz. Yes, he is very fast, but he was also quite tentative as a rookie. Are we there yet? To quote Homer Simpson, “No!”
Drafting the “speedy wide receiver” is no longer a priority, if it ever was.
The Browns might go wide receiver if there’s someone like D.K. Metcalf sitting there when it is the Browns’ turn on the draft board. However, two points need to be made. First, the Browns ain’t no dome team. Second, they ain’t no run and shoot team, either.
Lest anyone forget, the Browns play two tight ends, run the ball with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt behind a big offensive line, and they want the home field advantage in January. The Browns do not place a premium on multiple-wide-receiver sets and their offense does not feature the vertical passing game.
The fact of the matter is Cleveland has had plenty of speedy wide receivers since they resumed play in 1999. 12 of them, in fact, ran 4.40 or faster at their Combine or Pro Day (if Combine time was not available). If there was a trend toward elite play from speedsters, we should be able to recognize it by now. Without further ado, here is a list of your speediest wide receivers of the past 25 seasons:
Player               from  to  Speed   Tgts  Comp Catch pct  Yds Yards/Season
Breshad Perriman   2018 2018  4.25    25     16   64.0%     340    340.0
Anthony Schwartz   2021 2021  4.27    23     10   43.5%     135    135.0
Donté Stallworth    2008 2008 4.29    45     17   37.8%     170    170.0
Tim Carter           2007 2007 4.32    22      8   36.4%     117    117.0
Andrew Hawkins    2014 2016 4.34   209   123   58.9%    1424    474.7
Travis Benjamin     2012 2015 4.36   221   109   49.3%    1683    561.0
Braylon Edwards    2005 2009 4.38   499   238   47.7%    3697    739.4
Terrelle Pryor        2015 2016 4.38   148    78   52.7%    1049     524.5
Damion Ratley       2018 2019 4.39     44    25   56.8%     344    172.0
KhaDarel Hodge     2019 2020 4.39     27    15   55.6%     256    128.0
Taylor Gabriel        2014 2015 4.40   120    64   53.3%      862    431.0
Corey Coleman      2016 2017 4.40    131    56   42.7%     718    359.0
AVERAGESÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.35Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50.1%
4o-yard draft times are from player profiles on NFL.com, and stats are condensed from Pro Football Reference.
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