What does Dwayne Bowe bring to Cleveland Browns?
The Cleveland Browns came into the offseason with a gaping hole at the wide receiver position, and their need for pass-catchers only increased when Jordan Cameron left for the Miami Dolphins after apparently becoming frustrated with the constant turnover on offense in Cleveland. With Josh McCown in and Brian Hoyer out, the Browns passing attack will look incredibly different next season, and they have added two notable possession receivers in Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns have officially announced the two-year deal, and Bowe figures to slot in as the team’s second or third-highest targeted receiver, depending on what the Browns do in the draft. Bowe gives this team a solid possession guy who can function at a No. 2 receiver when he’s at his best, but they still have a huge need for a playmaker and true “X” with Josh Gordon out.
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Although he didn’t struggle nearly as badly as Hartline did last season, the formerly consistent Bowe hasn’t been on-form in recent years, and the sad thing is that he hasn’t caught 70 passes in a season since back-to-back 70-catch, 1,100-yard campaigns in 2010 and 2011. The game managing Alex Smith‘s spread-it-around approach has been viewed as the main factor here, since Bowe did average 13.1 yards per reception in 2012 before falling to 11.8 and 12.6 YPR averages in the two seasons with Smith running the offense.
In his best days, the former LSU receiver was a true No. 1 guy for the Kansas City Chiefs, going for 14 yards per reception, five touchdowns 70 catch, and 1,000 yards in those seasons. He’s a solid, physical receiver who runs good routes, and he once caught 15 touchdown passes in a season. That’s a shocking fact, since he obviously didn’t catch a single touchdown last season despite coming awfully close in the final game of the season before fumbling it away from Travis Kelce to scoop it up.
The interesting thing is that even though Bowe wasn’t as productive as he should have been last season, he actually posted the best catch rate of his career- and it isn’t even close. In fact, he never had a catch rate of at least 60% until hauling in 64.0% of everything thrown at him last year, per Advanced Football Analytics, with an impressive 8.0 yards per target average. Bowe’s career 7.5 YPT is quite solid, and it presents a huge upgrade over the other receivers on the roster.
Bowe is less one-dimensional as a receiver than some think, though it’s likely he’ll be used by the Browns in the same role he played for the Chiefs last year. McCown is a game manage type who doesn’t win downfield, so assuming the Browns signed him- and paid him- to start, we can expect 11-12 yards per reception again from the former 80-catch wideout.
It will be interesting to see just how often the Browns target Bowe, but it’s clear that they desperately needed to sign someone like him. He has produced in this league, and he has the ability to be a clear No. 2 receiver for them, taking plenty of pressure off of talented 2014 breakout player Andrew Hawkins in the slot. Taylor Gabriel and Travis Benjamin continue to be intriguing playmakers worth keeping a close eye on, but it is clear that Bowe and Hawkins are the two most important receivers on the roster right now.
Hartline was once Mr. Consistency and could be a viable No. 3 or 4 wideout, but Bowe and Hawkins are both more talented. Again, it’s easy to forget, but Bowe was once viewed as a solid red zone weapon and a true No. 1 receiver, so while Smith helped him to a clear career-high catch rate, he didn’t do him any favors from a productivity standpoint.
Financial details of the Dwayne Bowe signing have not been revealed, but it’s safe to say that we shouldn’t expect much of a commitment to him. Since some have questioned his motivation in the best, it will be interesting to see how much of Bowe’s deal is in incentives, because a two-year deal for a 30-year-old receiver coming off of three straight sub-60-catch seasons is the absolute maximum from a length standpoint.
Dec 7, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Chiefs 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Considering he put up catch rates of 51.8% and 55.3% in 2012 and 2013, Bowe’s 2014 season was actually a bounce-back campaign of sorts despite the complete lack of TDs, because he did at least average 50 receiving yards per game with a 12.6 yards per reception average.
He’s better and possibly faster than some think, and he should be able to move the chains as a key part of this Browns offense. Nobody is totally sold on him as a WR2, and ideally they’ll draft a top WR, but he can be a credible No .2 guy if needed.
While signing Bowe gives this team a quality No. 2 receiver who can win in the intermediate range of the field, the Cleveland Browns still have to draft somebody. They need someone who can make plays with the ball in their hands, a deep threat, a top WR prospect, or someone else with a dynamic skill-set.
The Browns have some youth at the position, but they just signed two veteran, possession types in Hartline and Bowe. More is needed, but Bowe was a strong, important step in the right direction, since they would have had to rely on Hawkins too much if they didn’t add him.
As far as I’m concerned, the Browns need to draft a true No. 1 guy and then use Hawkins and Bowe as their No. 2 and 3 targets with Hawkins receiving more of the ball (he’s better after the catch, which is important when the QB is McCown).Remember, though, unlike some of the other receivers who played for the Chiefs in recent years, Bowe is actually a good player.
Next: Where do the Browns rank among the best franchises in history?
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