Three new faces appear in good standing to lock down roster spots at wide receiver.
The group should have a different look under first-year wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, but a couple of familiar faces promise to be marquee members in 2015.
THE WIDE RECEIVERS
The cast
Travis Benjamin
Dwayne Bowe
Kevin Cone
Taylor Gabriel
Brian Hartline
Andrew Hawkins
Darius Jennings
Josh Lenz
Vince Mayle
Marlon Moore
Terrelle Pryor
Rodney Smith
Shane Wynn
What happened at OTAs?: One year after the Browns didn't exactly know what they had at the position during offseason workouts, there was some welcomed clarity throughout May and June. Bowe, Hartline, Hawkins and Gabriel served as the primary options with the first-team offense. Benjamin, too, was often involved while many others, including Smith and Moore, saw some time with the players who are expected to be on the field when the season opens against the New York Jets. Gabriel, who was one of the NFL's leaders in yards per catch last season, performed particularly well and expects to have a bigger role in this year's offense. Mayle, a fourth-round pick from Washington State, ran routes but wasn't able to catch passes because of a broken thumb. He's expected to be ready for training camp.
Under the radar: Benjamin is the unlikely answer to the trivia question, "who led the 2014 Browns in touchdown receptions?" The fourth-year pro out of Miami is entering a pivotal month, as he looks to not only maintain his role within the Browns wide receiving corps, but also as a return man. The competition in both areas promises to be heavier than last year, but Benjamin's received no shortage of strong endorsements from offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor and general manager Ray Farmer. He'll be one of the top players to watch at the position when camp opens later this month.
Variables to consider: Moore didn't catch a single pass in 2014 but he's considered to be an invaluable member on special teams … Though he's similar in stature to Hawkins, Gabriel often plays at a different spot on the field and is more of an outside receiver than a slot receiver … Pryor was picked up one week after the offseason program came to a close and is transitioning from quarterback … Since he arrived in Cleveland, DeFilippo has harped on his desire for a receiving corps that features players with diverse skill sets. Keep that in mind when trying to project the final player or two to make the cut.
Quote to note: "The thing I do like about it is each guy is not the same guy. Even though Taylor Gabriel and Hawk are smaller receivers, they do have two different skillsets. Bowe and Hartline are bigger guys. I think it'd be much more of an issue if you had all small guys or all big guys. I think you can still find places on the field for those guys and putting them in situations to where they can succeed in the things that they do well." -- offensive coordinator John DeFilippo
How many were kept last year?: Five
