We're less than two weeks out from the Browns' first training camp under head coach Hue Jackson.
As such, we'll dive deep into each position group and analyze what we'll be looking for when practice resumes July 29.
We previewed Cleveland's quarterbacks on Monday and the running backs Tuesday. Now we're turning our attention to the wide receivers, which might be the most intriguing position battle in training camp.
THE WIDE RECEIVERS
The cast
Andrew Hawkins
Taylor Gabriel
Terrelle Pryor
Darius Jennings
Marlon Moore
Rannell Hall
Corey Coleman
Ricardo Louis
Jordan Payton
Rashard Higgins
Dennis Parks
What happened at OTAs? In the offseason, head coach Hue Jackson and the Browns leadership group made it clear they wanted to bolster the position group. As such, Cleveland scooped up four receivers — Coleman, Louis, Payton and Higgins — in the draft and added Parks as an undrafted free agent a week later. Against that backdrop, OTAs and minicamp were marked by a great deal of competition among the newcomers and veterans like Hawkins, Gabriel and Pryor, whose on-field improvement compared to a year ago made headlines.
Under the radar: Let's look at the vets first: Gabriel was limited by an injury during OTAs/minicamp, led the AFC and finished third in the NFL with an average of 17.3 yards per catch in 2014. Moore, Jennings and Hall have garnered praise from senior offensive assistant/wide receivers coach Al Saunders for their offseason efforts have each shown flashes at different points throughout workouts. When it comes to the rookies, one name to keep an eye on is Higgins, the fifth-round draft pick who seems to have something of a chip on his shoulder. After all, he was an All-American at Colorado State and he turned heads during camp with his soft hands and smooth routes.
Variables to consider: The competition figures to be fierce during training camp, with 11 receivers vying for a limited number of spots on the 53-man roster. Last year, the Browns kept seven receivers immediately following training camp and they could very well do that once again.
Quote to note: "There are some really good players here and they will compete. And that's the great thing about pro football — you never know how this is gonna unfold until you give people an opportunity. There are some people here who truly deserve an opportunity. And there are some guys that we drafted that are going to get an opportunity." — Hue Jackson on the WRs following the draft. How many were kept last year?: Seven on the 53-man roster
