With the wide receiver market run dry, the Cleveland Browns have few options to improve the chances for their two young quarterbacks. Could they find consolation with the Detroit Lions by trading for Tony Scheffler?
Receiver run in NFL draft has Lions scaling back role for Scheffler
Few Detroit fans have a problem with Tony Scheffler. On a team stacked with pass catchers, most agree he is the best among the tight ends. Yet the Lions front office and coaching staff keep taking wide receivers in NFL draft every year. This time it was Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles, the all-time receptions leader in NCAA history. While it will take time for him to recover from a torn ACL suffered last November, Broyles puts playing time for Scheffler even further in doubt. The tight end managed just 30% of the snaps last season and still somehow caught six touchdowns. Some Detroit Lions fans think he needs to see the field more, but until the team finds a stable running game, they will have to throw. That means wide receivers and more wide receivers. Every player says they'll do whatever it takes to win, but an athlete like Scheffler wants to play. So what teams might have interest in giving him the chance?
Reliable tight end could take pressure of Colt McCoy or Brandon Weeden
One team that would welcome Scheffler is the Cleveland Browns. Though they tried to find receivers in the draft, the team still doesn't have enough weapons. This means whoever is the quarterback in September, Colt McCoy or rookie Brandon Weeden, will spent most of the time sticking the ball in the belly of rookie running back Trent Richardson. It's not a recipe that wins games in today's NFL. Deciding between McCoy and Weeden won't matter without targets to throw to. Regardless the Browns coaches see signs of two players working harder than ever to prove Cleveland can field a competitive football team. That's not to say they've given up the search for help. A number of big names are or could become available soon. Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens both await phone calls. Donald Driver may leave the Green Bay Packers. The one interesting name is Scheffler. Tight ends are tricky players because they can affect both the pass and run. For Cleveland, Scheffler could both block for Richardson and catch touchdowns from either quarterback. He's not flashy, but the Browns can't afford flashy anyway.
Calvin Johnson has re-written how the Detroit Lions play offense. Now it's all about the wide receivers. That means running backs and tight ends fall by the wayside. For an NFL athlete like Tony Scheffler, the time may have come to find a new home. The Cleveland Browns need a reliable body for Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden. If they're looking cheap, Detroit could give them a bargain.
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