3 problems the Browns need to fix before Week 2
By Randy Gurzi
1. Tight end production
It was known coming into the season opener that Cleveland had some questions at wide receiver. Amari Cooper is their most proven weapon and Donovan Peoples-Jones has produced well in his first two seasons.
Behind that, they had a third-round rookie in David Bell and a second-year player in Anthony Schwartz who was plagued with drops in the preseason. With that being the case, they were expecting to lean on running back Kareem Hunt as well as their top tight ends, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant.
Njoku is the one they expected the most from, which is why he was signed to a four-year, $56.75 million contract extension with $28 million guaranteed. Unfortunately, both were incredibly quiet. Njoku finished with one target, which he caught for a seven-yard gain.
Bryant did have four passes come his way but he ended up with just two receptions for 18 yards with one drop.
Going forward, this offense is going to need more from these guys — and it wouldn’t hurt to see Jesse James get in on the action as well. While it’s true they do a lot in the run game — especially Njoku who has become a very good blocker — they’re also going to have to at least threaten the defense in order to help the wide receivers out.
