Heading into the 2024 NFL offseason, the Cleveland Browns have to be feeling good about the direction the franchise is heading into. The 2023 campaign was one of the best in franchise history as they won 11 games and earned the top Wild Card spot.
While their postseason trip didn’t go as well as they had hoped, as they were crushed by the Houston Texans, it was a successful season overall. Cleveland took steps in the right direction to cement their status as one of the top teams in the AFC.
How can they continue taking steps forward, eventually becoming Super Bowl contenders? The Browns have a few areas of need on their roster that could be shored up to raise the team’s ceiling.
Which position are they targeting the most? According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, the Browns have identified wide receiver as the position most needing an infusion of talent on the roster.
“The Cleveland Browns, who lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season, are telling people at the combine they are happy where they’re at and feel they are just a few players away. One of the positions they are openly telling people they hope to fill with a good player is receiver, specifically a playmaking receiver, whether it be through the draft or free agency,” wrote Pauline.
The Browns have a bonafide No. 1 receiver in Amari Cooper, who has been excellent in two seasons since being acquired from the Dallas Cowboys. But, heading into his age-30 season, it would behoove Cleveland to start working on a succession plan beyond Cooper.
Right now, there doesn’t seem to be one based on players currently on the depth chart. The Browns received solid contributions from Elijah Moore last season and used a third-round pick in consecutive drafts on Anthony Schwartz, David Bell and Cedric Tillman.
But, a wide receiver remains a need for the team. Adding a true No. 2 option behind Cooper would take some pressure off of the younger guys and make it tougher for opponents to game plan against them. The more options in the passing game, the tougher it will be to load up on stopping the Browns’ excellent ground game.
