Browns wide receiver room is a work in progress that wont be built in a day and more Monday free agency take – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Football Insider subscriber asked on Monday if the Browns got better by gaining Amari Cooper and losing Jarvis Landry. My answer was, essentially, we should be framing the discussion around the receiver room by taking a longer view. (Or, at least, I should have answered that way.)

Lets do this in pieces, some we know and some we dont.

First, the Browns needed to add a player like Cooper, regardless of Landrys status. Cooper is a legitimate No. 2 receiver at worst -- and potentially a No. 1 -- with 4.4 speed. Hes a sound route runner and gives the Browns a player they simply didnt have a year ago after Odell Beckham Jr. forced his way out.

They did it by essentially giving up a fifth-round pick -- they also swapped sixth-round picks with Dallas -- an even smarter move in light of Christian Kirk signing with Jacksonville for $18 million per year.

So, yes, the move to acquire Cooper was both smart and made the Browns better.

Now the Landry decision.

When the Browns officially released Landry, they announced it with the type of language usually reserved for a player who spent a Hall-of-Fame career with a team. For someone who was only here for four seasons, he earned it.

Landry was an important acquisition who helped signal the Browns wanted to start winning. Landry is just a football player and its what the Browns needed. He was durable, a willing blocker, a usually sure-handed pass catcher and did pretty well when asked to throw the ball. His versatility unlocked parts of the Browns offense other players couldnt.

He also would have cost the team a cap hit not palatable for a roster with looming extensions and holes to fill.

Are the Browns better without Landry? No. But ...

The Browns wide receiver room is far from complete. It currently stands at six players if you include Demetric Felton, which you should. Cooper will make it seven. JaMarcus Bradley, Ryan Switzer and Rashard Higgins, make up three of those seven. Higgins time might have finally run out here, too, and Bradley and Switzer are bubble players.

The core group is essentially Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz.

Nothing has ruled out selecting a receiver at No. 13 overall. If not there, they can find quality in the second round in a deep receiver class to add a fourth to the core.

The tiers of the free agent receiver market will begin to take shape as well. The Browns can find value in an inflating market perhaps in players like Will Fuller or DJ Chark, to get their core to five, which is a logical number for a team with so much invested in its tight ends and running game.

The early days of free agency make patience difficult when it isnt your team in the headlines, but the Browns are in the process of remaking a wide receiver room that, this time a year ago, had $30 million tied up in two players no longer here.

Once the picture is complete, they should be in a better position longterm.

Betting on upside

Taven Bryan has the athleticism to help the Browns defensive line.AP

Last year, when the Browns signed Takk McKinley, they bet on a player GM Andrew Berry did work on during the 2017 draft process. They brought McKinley, the former Falcons first-round pick, into their system, put him in an ideal role as their third edge rusher and he played well before tearing his Achilles, using his speed to complement Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.

Taven Bryan could be a similar gamble on upside, an affordable defensive tackle contract for a former first-round pick.

Bryan has intriguing athletic traits, comparing favorably with current Browns defensive end Porter Gustin, a strong athlete in his own right, according to mockdraftable.com, a website that compares testing numbers.

Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb on Twitter) compiles a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) for prospects and Bryan did particularly well in this formula, rating 11th out of 1,096 defensive tackles from 1987 to 2018.

Dont read into this as anything more than it is -- hes really athletic. Thats what the Browns are betting on with this signing, turning his athleticism into a productive defensive tackle.

Mitch on the move

Mitch Trubisky will see his hometown Browns a bit more often this season.cleveland.com

Did a year behind the scenes in Buffalo with Brian Daboll, Ken Dorsey and Josh Allen offer some clarity for Mitch Trubisky? The Steelers will find out.

Pittsburgh is an interesting fit for the Northeast Ohio native who didnt pan out in Chicago. Trubiskys best season with the Bears featured a run game led by Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, who ended up as the Bears second-leading receiver with 725 yards. Trubisky was the third-leading rusher with 421 yards.

Can he manage an offense with a high usage running back who is effective in the passing game and intriguing weapons? Can offensive coordinator Matt Canada utilize his mobility as a weapon? Can Trubisky keep the seat warm for whoever is next?

Those are the things the Steelers are likely looking for from the former No. 2 overall pick.

-

Get the latest Browns merchandise: Heres where you can order Cleveland Browns gear online, including jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies, hats and much more.

More Browns coverage

Browns release Jarvis Landry, their five-time Pro Bowl receiver, in wake of Amari Cooper trade

Will Amari Cooper be the latest Browns player to wear Bernie Kosars 19?

NFL free agency 2022: The best players left and whos been signed

Vikings extend Kirk Cousins through 2023 season, taking him off market as potential Browns quarterback option

Amari Cooper is the best route-runner in the NFL -- here are 3 ways he does it: Film Review

Browns are still exploring a trade for Deshaun Watson, and will have to offer multiple first-round picks, Baker Mayfield and maybe other players

2022 Free Agency Tracker: Latest news from around the NFL

What the Amari Cooper trade means for Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Garrett Wilson and more: Orange and Brown Talk

Browns free agency primer

Coopers new Browns reality and what the numbers say about it

Berry seizes on Cooper opportunity while keeping draft capital

Berry did his job, now Stefanski and Mayfield must do the same: Lesmerises

Browns make a wise, bold move Pluto

3 ways the trade boosts Browns flexibility: Bastock

What the Cooper trade means: Podcast

What theyre saying about the trade on social media

Excerpt from:

Browns wide receiver room is a work in progress that wont be built in a day and more Monday free agency take - cleveland.com