Browns Digest

Adding Will Fuller to Browns Sounds Better in Theory than Practice

Since the Cleveland Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson, Will Fuller has been a player mentioned as a possibility. It just doesn't add up.

Pete Smith

As tempting as signing free agent wide receiver Will Fuller V might seem, it only makes sense for the Cleveland Browns if they exhaust all of their other options and there are a lot of other options.

Dating back to the moment teams started discussing a trade for Deshaun Watson, Fuller has been mentioned as a possibility to sign with the team Watson does. Since arriving in Cleveland, Fuller's name comes up every so often. On the heels of re-signing Jadeveon Clowney, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports once again raised the possibility.

It's understandable why Fuller would be an attractive option. Playing with Watson from 2017 to 2020, Fuller averaged a remarkable 15.8 yards per reception, 10.9 yards per target and scored 17 touchdowns.

Fuller also brings more speed and the ability to stretch the field, which would provide more spacing for the Browns offense. As illustrated by his time with Fuller, Watson excels at throwing deep passes, especially up the sideline. Given the relative inexperience of the Browns wide receivers, Fuller would also provide a more proven option.

© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The problem is that Fuller is unreliable due to the amount of games he misses due to injuries, so many of which have impacted his right leg. In addition to tearing his ACL in 2018, Fuller has suffered injuries ranging from his foot, groin, knee and most frequently his hamstring.

That's not even mentioning the injuries he's suffered to his upper body, three of which are responsible for the 15 games he missed in his one season with the Miami Dolphins. For his career, Fuller has missed 35.3 percent of the possible games he could've played due to injury. If that holds true in a 17-game season, that works out to six games.

Inherent in signing Fuller is providing a backup plan for Fuller when he's inevitably injured. For the Browns, that's a problem. Having acquired Watson, Browns receivers need every rep they can get with him. That starts with Amari Cooper, but includes Donovan Peoples-Jones entering a pivotal third season, Anthony Schwartz and rookie third round pick David Bell. Cooper will be fine, but the other three need every opportunity to improve to ensure they are ready to contribute.

Even as some will immediately dismiss Schwartz given how his rookie season unfolded, head coach Kevin Stefanski has defended him as a player they are excited about, pointing to his intelligence and work ethic. They also weren't planning on him being a major contributor in his rookie season. The fact they needed him to be is a testament to the Browns problems on offense last year. Even as ineffective as he was in terms of production, he still forced the defenses to account for him.

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Schwartz still has to go out and justify that praise, but he was drafted to provide the same element as Fuller. He has work to get there, but he's younger, cheaper and hasn't had surgery to repair an injury. The Browns may end up regretting using a third round pick on Schwartz, but they have him, so they want it to work.

Further, in addition to drafting Bell, the Browns drafted another receiver in Michael Woods, then signed three undrafted free agents at the position. Ultimately, it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Browns lost out on a sixth round pick and a few undrafted free agents, but it flies in the face of those acquisitions. If they were planning on adding Fuller, they could have used some or all of those resources on other positions.

Of those undrafted free agents, Isaiah Weston is another potential deep threat. Weston will be a 25-year old rookie, a major reason he wasn't drafted. Nevertheless, he's a big bodied receiver with a track record for making plays down the field, averaging 23.8 yards per reception this past season at Northern Iowa. Weston is likely a candidate for the practice squad, meaning they could add the skill set without taking up a roster spot.

Fuller is not the only free agent wide receiver available. Whether or not the Browns are actively looking, players like Julio Jones, T.Y. Hilton and Emmanuel Sanders are just some of the options still available, all of which are more reliable than Fuller. When the name Julio Jones comes up, many have a visceral reaction about his recent run of injuries. It's a valid concern, but the 14 games Julio Jones has missed the past two seasons is still less than what Fuller missed in 2021.

Money always plays a role and these other options may not have the familiarity with Watson that Fuller does, but that chemistry doesn't do the Browns much good if Fuller is never on the field.

© Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The other option that hasn't been considered but makes a ton of sense is Kareem Hunt. A justifiable criticism of the Browns offense has been their unwillingness to put Nick Chubb and Hunt on the field at the same time. Hunt missed nine games and suffered the injury that ended his season in the one game they did put them on the field at the same time against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Browns should not simply have them both in the backfield. Whether it's lining Hunt out wide, something the Browns have done or using motion to move him around the offense and force the defense to reveal their coverage and adjust, that can provide the Browns an advantage. When Jarvis Landry was injured last year, Hunt caught a number of passes in the areas of the field where Landry was often utilized.

In order for Hunt and Chubb to be on the field at the same time, they have to take someone else off of it. It's a completely different dynamic than Fuller would be, but would give them another way to attack defenses and would take some of the pressure on the wide receiver position.

Should the Browns find themselves in August and they don't feel confident about the wide receiver position, Will Fuller would make far more sense. Not only should the Browns have an answer on Watson's possible suspension, but the Browns would have had the ability to get enough reps to evaluate the rest of the position group. No team wants Fuller to practice that much because it's only a matter of time before he gets hurt. He needs just long enough to know the playbook, maybe introduce himself to a few teammates and head onto the field.

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Pete Smith
PETE SMITH

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