The Cleveland Browns went from having one of the most underwhelming wide receiver corps in the league to potentially having a surplus. Their rookies have looked amazing so far in training camp, and it will be impossible to keep them off the field.
That could actually end up benefiting Jerry Jeudy, who struggled in his WR1 role last season.
Head coach Todd Monken recently gushed about Denzel Boston and promoted him to the first team after watching him dominate in practice. With the rookie likely set to be Cleveland's starting "X" receiver on the boundary, Jeudy might return to his usual — and more efficient — role in the slot this season.
“He’s made a bunch of plays," Monken said of Boston. "I mean, I’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. He’s made a bunch of plays. And we want to move Jerry around. I think Jerry is best when he’s on the move. He’s elite. He can separate. And I think Denzel has shown, hey, when you’re into the boundary, I think you make contested catches. A lot of your three-by-one stuff may go there. So it’s not final, it’s just we want to see where we’re at with that mix.”
Todd Monken's wide receiver plan could put Jerry Jeudy back where he thrives
Jeudy's skill set and body type might be better suited for a slot role. His best seasons came with him playing over 50 percent of his snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.
Conversely, he played just 18.6 percent of his snaps in the slot last season, a career-low, and it's no coincidence he struggled on the boundary. Granted, the quarterback and overall offensive situation was mostly brutal, but he's clearly better suited to play between the numbers.
Last season, Jeudy excelled on short and intermediate routes, where he combined for roughly 80 percent of his snaps. He wasn't nearly as efficient when he had to line up at the line of scrimmage or on the boundary, as the following table shows (data via PFF):
Distance | Outside left | Between the numbers | Outside right |
|---|---|---|---|
20+ yd | 3-for-9, 81 yards, TD, INT | 1-for-3, 25 yards, INT | 1-for-5, 39 yards, INT |
10-20 yd | 4-for-17, 49 yards, INT | 12-for-20, 210 yards, TD, INT | 0-for-7, INT |
0-10 yd | 8-for-15, 63 yards, INT | 11-for-17, 66 yards, INT | 8-for-10, 65 yards |
Behind LOS | 0 targets | 1-for-1, 3 yards | 1-for-1, 1 yard |
It was a tough season overall for Jeudy, but the point remains. He's not the biggest guy, but he's twitchy, and he's tough enough to do some damage in traffic. His quick feet and vision make him better suited to play between the numbers than outside.
Boston is a physical specimen. He doesn't even need to create much separation in his routes because he can simply out-leap and outmuscle most defensive backs. He's a perfect go-to target on the boundary and in the red zone.
KC Concepcion's skill set could ultimately make Jeudy expendable, but it's too early to tell. The veteran is still under contract for two more seasons, and Monken will have to figure out how to best deploy him.
With Isaiah Bond looking like a potential big-play specialist, the Browns went from having a bottom-feeding wide receiver room to having a dynamic group with a weapon for nearly every situation.
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