3 Cleveland Browns who could struggle on offense in 2023
By Greg Newland
As we creep by the halfway point of July, training camp and the preseason are closing in for the Cleveland Browns. The group has already spent a good amount of time together during voluntary workouts, but with a lot of new pieces on the roster training camp will be extremely important.
Kevin Stefanski will remain the play-caller for 2023 on offense, but Jim Schwartz (Defensive Coordinator) and Bubba Ventrone (Special Team Coordinator) are new to the staff. The change was welcome because both units had major struggles over the last two seasons.
After becoming the general manager in January 2020, it’s safe to say this roster is completely Andrew Berry's. We’ve reached a point where he is actually starting to move on from players he has even drafted which is a significant step.
Expectations are high which means pressure on the roster is even higher. Here are three offensive players that could struggle in 2023.
Cleveland Browns Struggling Player No. 3 – Donovan Peoples-Jones
After back-to-back seasons of having one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the league, the Cleveland Browns have beefed up their depth chart. Amari Cooper stepped up as a strong No. 1 receiver last season, while Donovan Peoples-Jones continued his progression with his best season as a pro.
The third and fourth slot was the biggest weakness, but after drafting Cedric Tillman from the University of Tennessee and trading for Elijah Moore from the New York Jets, it may be a challenge to make sure everyone is getting the snaps and targets they deserve.
Stefanski said he wants to tailor this offense to Watson, but with Nick Chubb, there are still only going to be so many passes in a game. Because of that, I’m afraid DPJ could regress slightly in year four vs. making another huge leap forward.
Not only is Peoples-Jones going to be fighting to hold on to the second receiver slot vs. Moore, but he's also fighting for a contract as he is in the final year of his deal.
If Moore shines DPJ could slip to the third receiver, limit his touches and have another 600-yard season vs. the 1,000 yards that so many are predicting.