Josh Gordon got high, now he’s suspended. That’s old news. The level-headed, realistic fans have expected this, or something similar to this, since the moment Gordon was drafted.
The question is – what do the Cleveland Browns do now? Surely the season is over, right?
As Lee Corso would say – not so fast, my friend.
Cleveland will go into the season with a wide-receiver depth chart featuring Miles Austin, Nate Burleson, Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin, Charles Johnson, Willie Snead Peter Gabriel, Michael Moore, and Brian Krause.
(Okay, so the last three are clearly jokes. Calm down.)
Fact is, this current wide receiver rotation isn’t even close to being the most depressing WR depth chart the Browns have seen. To take it one step further, I believe that there’s more talent on this current rotation than the Browns have seen in this millenium.
WR1- Miles Austin
Miles Austin is a solid NFL starting WR. He doesn’t have the potential to be a solid starter. He is, and has been, a solid starter. The former Dallas Cowboy has accrued 4,481 yards and 34 TD’s over his 8-year career. Averaged out, that’s hardly an impressive stat line…I’ll agree. However, over 85% of those yards and all but three of those touchdowns came over a four-season span in which Austin was nominated to two Pro Bowls. A series of hamstring injuries that may not have even been Austin’s fault have sidelined Austin over the last year-and-a-half, leading to his eventual relocation to the shores of Lake Erie.
Austin has the right mix of veteran experience and game-changing ability to help Hoyer in the passing game and, when the time eventually comes, temper the learning curve of Manziel. Nobody is confusing Austin for Megatron but he’s certainly no Chansi Stuckey, either.
WR2- Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson is a #2 WR, if he can actually make it on the field. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s a guy who can take advantage of less-talented #2 and nickel corners. It’s true that his better days are certainly behind him, but he’s been a starter in this league long enough to know what is expected of him. His ceiling is low and getting lower by the minute, but his floor is exponentially higher than that of a mid-round or UDFA rookie. One thing you won’t hear very often is announcers saying “Burleson just ran the wrong route”. Unfortunately, you also won’t hear them saying “Watch as Burleson flies past his man and streaks down the field for a 85-yard touchdown.”
WR3- Andrew Hawkins
One of the most interesting acquisitions of the Farmer era. The 5’7″ runner-up from Michael Irvin’s “4th and Long” possesses Percy Harvin-esque speed and elusiveness. If utilized correctly, Hawkins could be a very strong weapon for Hoyer (and Manziel). Hawkins showed his utility in a surprising 2012 performance for the Cincinnati Bengals, tallying over 530 yards on 51 receptions. Hawkins gives the Browns a viable deep threat as well as big play potential.
WR4- Travis Benjamin
Benjamin is fast. He’s elusive. He’s everything that Andrew Hawkins is, and will probably see a majority of his time returning punts and kickoffs.
The Other Guys- Charles Johnson/Taylor Gabriel/Willie Snead/ Marlon Moore/ Jonathan Krause
The “other guys” are the ones that are rarely, if ever, brought up when talking about Cleveland’s receiving corps. Truth be told, at least two of these guys will be waived before the season starts. It seems unlikely that Moore and Krause will make it to opening day. Snead is a wild card. A strong performance in Cleveland’s final preseason game may be enough to secure him a roster spot. The remaining two, Johnson and Gabriel, are very interesting players. Each of them possesses big play potential. Each of them have shown they want to play. However, the odds are that Johnson will win the battle. To take it a step further, Johnson may even prove to be a starter at some point in this season (but I’ll touch on that at a later time).
Point is, there’s enough talent on this current Browns roster to be happy with. Of course the loss of Gordon is a massive blow, but the silver lining is that it may pave the way for a new Browns receiving threat to emerge.
Or this season will just suck. That’s always a possibility.
Bereaveland 