BEREA –– The Greetham Angle will do a position-by-position breakdown and analysis of the roster from 2024 and look ahead to 2025. The Browns have some difficult decisions all across their roster this offseason and we’ll take a look at the players that are still under contract, and the players who are set to become free agents.
Here is a breakdown of the wide receiver position.
Wide Receivers
The Cleveland Browns biggest move of the 2024 offseason was to trade for Jerry Jeudy just before free agency began. The Browns quickly signed Jeudy to a long-term extension and went into the season with Amari Cooper, Jeudy and Elijah Moore as the top three receivers to start the season.
As the season started to spiral downhill, the Browns traded Cooper to the Bills for a third-round draft choice in 2025. Cooper was off to a slow start with several dropped passes, 24 receptions for 250 yards with two touchdowns. After the trade, Cedric Tillman moved into the top three in the rotation. Cooper was in the final year of his contract.
The Browns’ passing game finished as the 22nd-ranked team in the NFL, averaging just 206.2 yards a game this past season.
In order for the Browns to become a much more explosive offense, the Browns will likely need to add a proven veteran at the wide receiver position or a dynamic pass receiver early in the draft.
Here are the wide receivers who played or finished the 2024 season on the active roster, injured reserve, or practice squad:
Jerry Jeudy (6-1, 195, 5th year, Alabama) — Jeudy, 25, broke the Browns franchise-record with 90 receptions in his first season with the Browns. Jeudy also had 1,229 yards (13.7 avg.) in his first season with the Browns. He had four touchdowns, including an 89-yard score. Jeudy also had nine catches for 235 yards against the Broncos, including a touchdown. Jeudy is under contract in 2025 for $16 million after signing a three-year, $52.5 million extension, including $17.5 million guaranteed, shortly after joining the Browns.
Elijah Moore (5-10, 180, 4th year, Mississippi) — Moore, 24, had the best season of his career with 61 receptions for 538 yards (8.8 avg.) with one touchdown. He had 59 catches for 640 yards (10.8 avg.) and two touchdowns in 2023. Moore is a free agent if the Browns do not sign him to an extension.
Cedric Tillman (6-3, 215, 2nd, Tennessee) — Tillman, 24, had 29 receptions for 339 yards (11.7 avg.), including a long of 38 yards. He also had three touchdowns. Tillman suffered a concussion in the first game with the Steelers and missed the final six games. Tillman is under contract in 2025 with a salary cap number of $1.530 million.
David Bell (6-1, 212, 3rd year, Purdue) — Bell, 24, had three receptions for 27 yards in the first two games before suffering a season-ending hip injury. Bell had 24 receptions for 214 yards (8.9 avg.), as a rookie and 14 receptions in his second year. The Browns drafted Bell in the third round in the 2022 NFL Draft. Bell will be under contract in 2025 with a salary cap number of $1.342 million.
James Proche (5-11, 193, 5th year, SMU) — Proche, 28, was signed to the practice squad but then added to the active roster to be the primary punt returner. Proche finished the season with three receptions but had 19 punt returns for 172 yards (9.1 avg.), including a long of 18 yards. He had one kick return for 19 yards. Proche is a free agent.
Michael Woods (6-1, 204, 3rd year, Oklahoma) — Woods, 24, spent most of the year on the practice squad after missing the entire 2023 season on the reserve/non-football injury list after suffering an injury before the offseason. Woods finished the 2024 season with seven receptions for 65 yards. Woods was a sixth-round draft choice of the Browns in the 2022 NFL Draft. Woods is under contract in 2025 with a salary cap number of $1.030 million.
Jamari Thrash (6-0, 190, Rookie, Louisville) — Thrash,24, caught three passes for 22 yards as a rookie, including a long of 11 yards after being a fifth-round draft choice in the 2024 NFL Draft. Thrash is under contract in 2025 for $1.041 million.
Kaden Davis (6-1, 193, 1st year, Northwest Missouri State) — Davis,26, had three kick returns for 107 yards, including a long of 40 yards after being elevated from the practice squad for the final game of the season. Davis is under contract in 2025 for $840,000.
Jaelen Gill (6-0, 185, Rookie, Fresno State) — Gill, 25, ended the season on the practice squad. Gill is a free agent.
Summary and Looking Ahead
The Browns enter the offseason knowing they need help at wide receiver. With Jeudy having a breakout season in 2024 in his first season with the Browns, the Browns are tasked with adding players that complement him going forward.
Moore is a free agent and has had 59- and 61-receptions in each of the past two seasons. Moore averaged just 8.8 yards a catch with one touchdown. His longest play was for 44 yards in 2024.
Tillman came on strong after Deshaun Watson was injured and had 29 receptions for 339 yards (11.7 avg.) with three touchdowns. However, Tillman suffered a concussion in the first Steelers game and missed the final six games. He has ended both of his two seasons with injuries. Durability is a concern with Tillman, but he has showed signs of using his size, range, and strength to make contested catches.
The Browns gave up their top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to acquire Moore from the Jets in a trade. Moore was used more as a possession receiver than a downfield threat, but depending on his contract demands, could move on in free agency.
Bell has shown some flashes in his first two seasons, but the injury to his hip in 2024 hurt his development. Woods showed some potential, while Thrash did not play enough to show what he can do.
The Browns will likely try to add a proven veteran either through a trade or free agency before the draft. The Browns finally have a first-round draft choice so they could look to add one with one of their top picks at No. 2 or No. 33 or lower in the draft as Berry has had a history of doing. Berry has drafted a wide receiver in all five of his drafts, including using a third-round pick in three-straight drafts. Last year, he used a fifth-round pick to select a receiver.
Some of the top-rated wide receivers in the draft are two-way performer Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, Luther Burden, Matthew Golden or Emeka Egbuka.
As it stands now, there are some interesting free-agent wide receivers that could attract the Browns’ attention, that may or may not end up being available, due to franchise tags or receiving extensions, including Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin or Keenan Allen, to name a few.
