Expectations are very, very high for the Cleveland Browns in 2019. After a wild offseason that included multiple splashy additions on both sides of the football, first-year coach Freddie Kitchens' team isn't just the odds-on favorite to win the AFC North, but many believe they will be legitimate contenders for the AFC crown.
Improvement from Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 Draft, is one of the biggest reasons why. It's not just natural progression from rookie to sophomore that has Mayfield poised to continue establishing himself as one of the league's best young quarterbacks, though. He also has an impressive collection of playmaking weapons at his disposal, including arguably the best receiver tandem in football, Jarvis Landry and trade acquisition Odell Beckham, Jr.
The former LSU teammates, both multi-time Pro Bowlers, will undoubtedly be the focus of Cleveland's passing game, and rightfully so. But Landry and Beckham aren't the only receivers Mayfield will be connecting with this season, as this on-the-run dime to Rashard Higgins in the corner of the end zone at Browns practice makes abundantly clear.
WE SEE YOU, HOLLYWOOD! ✨
👀 @CALLME_WOOD pic.twitter.com/tZIa8SAtTD
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 28, 2019
Great throw, great catch.
Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions while appearing in 14 games last season. Even more importantly, after Mayfield took over for good as a starter in a Week 4 matchup with the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland went a respectable 6-7, finishing the season by winning five of its last seven games.
Higgins, meanwhile, emerged as a key target for the Browns last season, catching a career-high 39 passes for 572 yards and four touchdowns. The three-year pro will fight with sophomore Antonio Callaway over the offseason to be Cleveland's third receiver.
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