With Josh Gordon in and out of the huddle, the Cleveland Browns have lacked a true No.1 wide receiver over the past few seasons. They opted to pass up on top rookie options like Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr and Amari Cooper and are now relying on veterans to get the job done for Josh McCown this upcoming season. With youth in the running back position, age is taking over the wide receiver group, but head coach Mike Pettine is not worried.
After wrapping up minicamp, Dwayne Bowe was a standout during practices, proving that he can still be a top wide receiver for any team. That is good news for Cleveland who is in desperate need for one. Pettine told reporters that he was very impressed with the veteran and believes he will be a real asset this upcoming year.
"The thing about Dwayne, we wanted to make sure that we had pretty good variation, diversity in the skill set in that room and a bigger body guy that can still be covered but has a good catch radius, strong hands and can make the contested catches," Pettine said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "He's proven he can do that throughout his career. Throughout the spring, he's shown us time and time again examples of why we brought him here."
Bowe has struggled in recent seasons. He has not had a 1,000-yard receiving year since 2012 and has not recorded more than five touchdowns in a season since 2011. However, at 31 Bowe can still be a threat if he can get some quarterback consistency. The Browns are hoping they have that as well. Brian Hartline will also help take the pressure of Bowe. His tenure with the Miami Dolphins was up and down mainly due to quarterback issues, but McCown is expected to help change that.
The Browns' biggest receiving threat could be Duke Johnson who was drafted to be a dual threat for the Browns. The running back has been working in the backfield and also catching passes. He is expected to play a role similar to Darren Sproles and could end up seeing more playing time than Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West if he can add versatility to the offense.
