Prior to the 2014 NFL Draft, many (if not all) Browns fans expected to see a Josh Gordon/Sammy Watkins duo at Wide Receiver this year with Andrew Hawkins being a valuable Number 3 WR. As we all know, things quickly went South for this Cleveland Browns team… With the Browns deciding to take CB Justin Gilbert (over Sammy Watkins) while knowing of the possibility of a Gordon season long suspension, the Browns are left with this Wide Receiver Corpse to begin the 2014 NFL season:
Contents
Starting WR Corpse:
WR1: Miles Austin: Standing at 6’2/215 lbs., the 30 year old looked done in Dallas after an array of hamstring injuries. Can Austin and his troubled hamstring handle the cold weather in the AFC North?
WR2: Andrew Hawkins: Another 5’7/180 pounder looks to be the most promising set of hands on this 2014 team. The Baby Hawk is the only Browns Receiver worth a look while playing the slot for the Browns.
WR3: Travis Benjamin: At 5’10/175 lbs., Benjamin looks to be the WR3 after the Browns cut Burleson and Johnson loose. Benjamin is coming off an ACL injury, but the Browns are convinced he’s ready to play…
It’s obvious TE Jordan Cameron (6’5/250 lbs.) is going to be the Browns go-to-guy in the passing game this season. With Kyle Shanahan the New Offensive Coordinator, lets take a look at how previous TE’s have performed under his system.
2008 Houston Texans
Owen Daniels – 70 receptions for 862 yards and 2 TD’s.
Joel Dreessen – 11 receptions for 77 yards.
TE’s caught 22% of passes this season. 81/367
TE’s caught 9% of TD’s this season. 2/21
2009 Houston Texans
Owen Daniels – 40 receptions for 519 yards and 5 TD’s.
Joel Dreessen – 26 receptions for 320 yards and 1 TD.
James Casey – 6 receptions for 64 yards.
Anthony Hill – 1 reception for 9 yards
TE’s caught 18% of passes this season. 73/399
TE’s caught 20% of TD’s this season. 6/29
2010 Washington Redskins
Chris Cooley – 77 receptions for 849 yards and 3 TD’s.
Fred Davis – 21 receptions for 316 yards and 3 TD’s.
Logan Paulsen – 2 receptions for 10 yards and 1 TD.
TE’s caught 28% of passes this season. 100/349
TE’s caught 33% of TD’s this season. 7/21
2011 Washington Redskins
Fred Davis – 59 receptions for 796 yards and 3 TD’s.
Logan Paulsen – 11 receptions for 138 yards
Chris Cooley – 8 receptions for 65 yards
Niles Paul – 2 receptions for 25 yards
TE’s caught 23% of passes this season. 80/346
TE’s caught 15% of TD’s this season. 3/19
2012 Washington Redskins
Logan Paulsen – 25 receptions for 308 yards and 1 TD.
Fred Davis – 24 receptions for 325 yards.
Niles Paul – 8 receptions for 152 yards and 1 TD
Chris Cooley – 1 reception for 8 yards
TE’s caught 20% of passes this season. 58/291
TE’s caught 8% of TD’s this season. 2/24
2013 Washington Redskins
Jordan Reed – 45 receptions for 499 yards and 3 TD’s.
Logan Paulsen – 28 receptions for 267 yards and 3 TD’s.
Fred Davis – 7 receptions for 70 yards and 1 TD.
Niles Paul – 4 receptions for 51 yards
TE’s caught 23% of passes this season. 84/355
TE’s caught 35% of TD’s this season. 7/20
Under Kyle Shanahan’s tenure as Offensive Coordinator (in both Houston and Washington):
- Tight Ends have caught a combined 27 TD’s out of a total 134.
- Tight Ends have caught 20% of total Touchdowns.
- Tight Ends have caught 476 receptions out of a total 2107.
- Tight Ends have caught 22.6% of receptions.
- Tight Ends have caught 35% of TD’s in 2013.
We should expect this number to spike higher this season with lack of WR’s and talent. Jordan Cameron will be the focal point in the receiving game, but it should remain clear that due to the amount of running – he will also be blocking more than usual. Under Shanahan, TE’s have caught 20% of the Touchdown passes, however, last season TE’s caught 35% of those TD’s. Last season, JC saw 19 Red Zone Targets – catching 7 of them for TD’s. Jordan Cameron will continue to be a major Red Zone Target this season standing at 6’5.