The Cleveland Browns signed wide receiver Jaelen Strong this offseason in an effort to shore up some potential depth in the receiving corps. With preseason set to begin, he still finds himself on the cusp of competing to be on the final 53-man roster.
Strong was considered to be somewhat of a longshot after missing the entire 2018 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. According to Anthony Poisal of the team's official website, he is optimistic about being able to come back strong:
“When you hit rock bottom, those thoughts always come,” Strong said. “It’s just about not really so much listening to yourself, but talking to yourself and putting the work in to hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Strong was initially taken in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He last saw the field during the 2017 NFL season as a member of both the Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, the timing of the injury did not allow him much time to return during the offseason.
Regardless, it is clear that the Browns are still enamored with the skill set he displayed during his time with Houston. Their receiving corps is already headed by the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, and Antonio Callaway. Still, there is nothing wrong with stocking up as much firepower for quarterback Baker Mayfield as possible.
It will be interesting to see if Strong is able to make the final cut and etch out a role for himself in this offense.
