3 Cleveland Browns whose futures are in doubt after the 2024 NFL Draft
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns Future in Jeopardy No. 2 – David Bell, WR
As good as Andrew Berry has been with contract management, one of his biggest struggles with the Cleveland Browns has been drafting wide receivers. From Anthony Schwartz to Cedric Tillman, we have yet to see any real production from a Berry-drafted wide receiver.
While David Bell may be getting the short end of the stick here on development, the pick of Jamari Thrash in Round 5 of the 2024 draft and the addition of Jerry Jeudy will likely end Bell’s tenure in Cleveland.
Bell has always lacked the athleticism to get open in the NFL, and no matter how good his hands are he has struggled with separation and never gotten a ton of looks. He shined in the Week 18 game that didn’t matter vs. the Bengals in 2023 with two touchdowns, but that won’t be enough to save him.
Thrash isn’t going to come and threaten Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, or Jeudy, but my guess is he will compete for the fourth spot with Tillman and have a better chance of developing in this offense.
I’ll admit that previously I was never a fan of any of the wide receivers Berry drafted, and Thrash is the first guy I think has a chance to be a legitimate NFL wide receiver. But who knows, this trend could continue and Berry will be looking for another wide receiver in 2025.