Cleveland Browns: Full Position Breakdown, Depth-Chart Analysis at Wide Receiver

For a team expected to be quite run-heavy this year, the Cleveland Browns have no shortage of wide receivers. There are currently 12 receivers on the Browns' roster competing for six spots at most on the final 53-man roster come September.

Last year, the position was led by Andrew Hawkins. Hawkins had 63 catches on 113 targets for a team-best 824 yards and two scores. He also led the team in yards after the catch with 364. Though he's only 5'7", Hawkins was not limited to just working out of the slot—he was an outside receiver as well. However, this year, as Andrew Gribble of the team's official site predicts, Hawkins will move back into the slot.

This is because of the arrivals of two taller receivers better suited for duties on the outside, veterans Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, during the offseason. Slot receiver is Hawkins' more natural position, given his size, speed and ability to earn yards after the catch. The fact he is versatile is a good thing, though, especially because it's not yet set in stone where any receiver will line up this year.

In fact, based on observations during Cleveland's OTAs and minicamps thus far, it appears that new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo will be moving his receivers around a lot this year to take advantage of defensive mismatches. On top of that, presumed quarterback Josh McCown has developed good chemistry with Hawkins, which could force DeFilippo to put Hawkins in position to make plays no matter where that may be on the field.

Player	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YPR	TD	YAC
Hawkins	113	63	55.8%	824	13.1	2	364
Bowe	96	60	62.5%	754	12.6	0	237
Hartline	63	39	61.9%	474	12.2	4	139
Gabriel	71	36	50.7%	621	17.3	1	238
Mayle*	n/a	106	n/a	1,483	14.0	9	n/a
Benjamin	46	18	39.1%	314	17.4	3	50

While Bowe and Hartline have been in the mix in the "fluid situation" that is the slot receiver position, it's true that they will more than likely line up on the outside for most of the year. 

Head coach Mike Pettine said on Thursday, relayed by Scout.com's Fred Greetham, that Bowe was brought in to be a bigger, taller receiver, something the team didn't really have.

"The thing about Dwayne, we wanted to make sure that we had pretty good variation, diversity in the skill set in that room and a bigger body guy that can still be covered but has a good catch radius, strong hands and can make the contested catches," said Pettine.

Bowe said in April, reported by ESPN, that Browns general manager Ray Farmer had pulled up some of the plays that made Bowe a household name for the majority of his playing career for the Kansas City Chiefs—plays that require athletic catches on deep passes, the kind that led Bowe to have three seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards.

That Bowe kind of fell by the wayside in Kansas City upon the arrival of quarterback Alex Smith. Bowe totaled just 754 yards on his 60 catches last year, and he had no touchdowns. He averaged 12.6 yards per reception, down nearly four yards per catch from his 2010 season, when he totaled a career-best 15 touchdowns.

The Browns would like to get Bowe back to the player he once was, even though he's now 30 years old. But because of his age, the speed component won't be a major part of his game. Instead, as Kevin Jones of the Browns' official site noted: "He's been craftily using his 6'2", 225-pound frame to be a physical, possession receiver, catching many passes with cornerbacks all over his back during minicamp."

Hartline, meanwhile, also saw his production dip with the Miami Dolphins with a coordinator change last year. No longer was the offense geared toward deep passing. As such, Hartline went from surpassing 70 catches and 1,000 yards in 2012 and 2013 to just 39 catches for 474 yards and four scores in 2014. 

This year, he should have more opportunities to catch deep passes. Hartline looks poised to be a major figure on the Browns offense, if only because Pettine praised Hartline's ability to "get open and catch the ball" in OTAs earlier this month, relayed by Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. 

With these three players, along with tight end Rob Housler and running back Duke Johnson, all set to figure heavily in the Browns' passing game this year, that doesn't leave a lot of room for the rest of the receivers. But some, such as Taylor Gabriel, will force their way onto the field simply because they possess the talent.

Gabriel went from an undrafted unknown last year to Cleveland's second-leading receiver with 36 catches on 71 targets for 621 yards and a score. He had 238 yards after the catch and, despite being a smaller receiver, was a deep target for the Browns' quarterbacks with a 17.3 yards-per-reception average.

He has a few things working in his favor: One, the game has slowed down for him with a year of experience. Speaking with Kevin Jones of the team's official site on Thursday, Gabriel said: "Now I get to focus more on my releases or if I'm speed-bursting in a route. I get to really get technical with football. I'm hungry."

Gabriel is also being matched up against good friend and mentor Joe Haden in practices this offseason. By working against—and often beating—a Pro Bowl defensive back such as Haden, Gabriel's game can only get sharper.

He's also learning from the veteran wideouts. He's consulting with Hartline on his routes and with Bowe on technique and adding skills to his repertoire. Because he's constantly improving upon what was an impressive 2014 season, Gabriel will force his way onto the field in 2015. However, it's not as likely that he'll end the year as the Browns' second-leading receiver with the likes of Bowe, Hawkins and Hartline to contend with.

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There is also the matter of Travis Benjamin and Marlon Moore. Benjamin is shifty and fast, but he struggled with injuries last year and only caught 18 of the 46 passes thrown his way. He was taken off return duties because he wasn't able to gain much ground. Furthermore, the Browns also have Moore to return punts or kicks, as well as the rookie Johnson.

Moore didn't see a single target last year, and though he's billed as a receiver, he's primarily a returner, having fielded 13 kickoffs last year for a total of 322 yards. Both Benjamin and Moore are on the roster bubble right now, and without the pair showing more promise as receivers, they could be cut at the end of the summer.

Part of the reason for this is the drafting of Vince Mayle in Round 4 this year, as well as the promising duo of undrafted rookie Darius Jennings and Rodney Smith, whom the Browns were awarded off of waivers last year.

Jennings, writes Jones, is "just 5'10" [and] 169 pounds, but his routes are crisp and his hands are reliable. ... Remember, last year at this time, nobody knew who Taylor Gabriel was. There's always room for a late riser with big-play ability on the roster."

Smith, who spent two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, has yet to catch an NFL pass in a regular season. But he's in the group who have been rotating at the slot position when not working with second-team quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Mayle, meanwhile, is slowly working his way back from a broken thumb that required offseason surgery. He's currently participating in OTAs and minicamp as an observer, running mental route after mental route in preparation for training camp. If he's cleared for camp and can prove to be a quick study, it will be difficult to determine just which receivers stay and which are cut. Otherwise, Mayle could spend 2015 on the practice squad.

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Rounding out the position group is Paul Browning, Kevin Cone and Josh Lenz. Lenz was an undrafted player picked up by the Chicago Bears in 2012. He bounced around to the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and the Indianapolis Colts in 2014 before signing with the Browns in May. Cone is an undrafted journeyman who came to the NFL in 2011. Browning, meanwhile, is an undrafted rookie.

These three have the longest odds of sticking on Cleveland's roster in any capacity this year and are, as of now, little more than camp hands. Browning is eligible for the practice squad, which could allow him to stay with the Browns in 2015. Cone and Lenz, however, may be roster casualties this summer.

The Browns' receiver position is robust in 2015. Though they need to have younger, homegrown talent in order to carry the offense in the longer term, for now, their mix of veterans and less experienced players should be effective enough to take on the versatile roles asked of them in DeFilippo's offense.