The transition of the Browns ' offense from a run-first unit to a pass-first unit is well underway. Replacing former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with Ken Dorsey signaled that this team was making the change to move on from their old ways and transition into a modern style of football.
Ken Dorsey led offensives have thrived through the air. It absolutely helped that the quarterback he had calling the shots, Josh Allen, is one of the best in all of football. If the Browns believe that they have a quarterback of similar caliber, which they do, the next most important position group is the wide receivers.
Cleveland's group is solid, but not outstanding. Amari Cooper is legit number one guy and even at the age of 30 is still one of the best in the entire NFL. Behind him are two guys with a ton of potential. Newly acquired Jerry Jeudy is a top route runner in the game but has yet to be able to flourish in the NFL. He has gone through several quarterbacks and hasn't found success with any of them. The final big name in that group is slot guy Elijah Moore. Moore's skillset didn't match up well with the offense that Cleveland ran in 2023 and while he had a career season, there is still a lot to be decided.
That takes us to former Tennessee Volunteer Cedric Tillman. Tillman showed bursts of potential last year. He does not shy away from contact and will attack the ball at all costs. However, his downfall is getting open. He made his money in college by running by defenders and killing teams with the deep ball.
That isn't as consistently available in the NFL, so he must improve other areas of his game, particularly his route running. If he is able to do this, he unlocks another level to this offense.
Tillman would become the biggest chess piece for this offense. His threat as a huge body is one thing but formationally he could put teams into a bind. Lining him up as the number one receiver on either side of the formation moves Cooper or Jeudy into the slot and likely in matchups with a linebacker or safety. That would be an advantage for the Browns.
Tillman doesn't have to be a 1,110-yard guy or even a 600-yard guy. All he has to do early is show that he is a capable receiver and a legitimate threat. If he can do that, he will unlock another level to the Browns' offense that we haven't seen yet.
