When the Browns training camp starts next week, the primary focus will be on who’s the starting quarterback. My biggest concern is the wide receiver room. Coming off a 3-14 season in 2024, the team needed to improve in several areas. The aforementioned quarterback position, the offensive line, the running back room and at wide receiver. This off-season Cleveland strengthened the offensive line depth, added two talented draft picks to improve the rushing attack and went quantity with four new quarterbacks. If the Browns are going to improve on the league’s worst offense, (15.2 points a game) the wide receiver group has to contribute.

The trade for Jerry Jeudy proved to be a winner for Browns GM Andrew Berry. Jeudy set a new franchise record for receptions with 91 in 2024. After Jeudy, the list of wide receivers with receptions who are still with the team is sparce. Cedric Tillman (29), Michael Woods (7), David Bell (3) and James Thrash (3). That doesn’t put fear even in the worst NFL secondary. The current room consists of Tillman, Bell, Thrash, Woods, Diontae Johnson, DeAndre Carter, Kaden Davis, Luke Floriea, Jaelen Gill, Kisean Johnson, Gage Larvadain and Cade MacDonald. Carter is primarily a return specialist, Davis and Gill are one-year pros and Floriea, Johnson, Larvadain and MacDonald are rookies. Like I said, not a very impressive group.

Tillman and Johnson are supposed to compete for the number two wide receiver. Tillman is in his third year with the Browns. For his career he has 50 receptions for 563 yards and three touchdowns. He has showed flashes but hasn’t been able to stay on the field due to injuries. Johnson was a low risk/high reward free agent signing. He’s coming off a season where he played for three different teams, Carolina, Pittsburg and Hoston, where he had a combined 33 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns. The touchdowns came with Carolina. His best year was in 2021 with the Steelers where he had 107 receptions for 1161 yards and eight touchdowns.

GM Andrew Berry could still sign a free agent like Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper or trade for someone like the Colt’s Alec Pierce or the Patriot’s Ja’Lynn Polk or DeMario Douglas. If Berry is going to make a trade, it would probably happen right before August 27, roster cutdown day. Right now, the wide receiver group is balanced on hope. The Browns hope Tillman, Johnson, Thrash and Bell will step up and fill the large gaps. I hope so, because this room has a lot of question marks.