Taylor working to catch on quickly with Browns

Titans traded third-year wide receiver to Cleveland over the weekend

Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports

The Cleveland Browns are now the second team on which Taywan Taylor has made the same first impression.

“I tell you what, he can run, can’t he?” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said first thing Wednesday when asked about his newest wide receiver.

Speed has been Taylor’s most recognizable attribute since the Tennessee Titans selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Improvement did not come fast enough over his two-plus seasons in the league, though, and last weekend the Titans traded him to the Browns, their opponent in Sunday’s season-opener.

How quickly Taylor learns his new offense will determine whether he gets the opportunity to help send his former team to a slow start.

With the trade, the Browns have six wide receivers on their 53-man roster. That group includes Pro Bowlers and bona fide stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Only one of the other three, however, has caught more than 13 passes and scored a touchdown in his NFL career, which means there is an opportunity for Taylor (53 receptions, 697 yards, two touchdowns in two seasons with the Titans) to move up the depth chart quickly.

“He’s come in and kind of immersed himself into the offense and trying to learn,” Kitchens said. “We’re still in the early stages, but we’ll see what he knows by the time we get to Sunday.”