The silence on the receiver front from the Cleveland Browns has fans getting more and more nervous. With training camp and the preseason coming up, will the front office make a move on names like Plaxico Burress or Chad Ochocinco?
Browns OTA practices increase offensive pressure on Trent Richardson
Cleveland fans enter the 2012 NFL season with high hopes but the always nagging fear of another failure. For the first time in years they have two young quarterbacks in Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden who have enough talent to win in the pros. The last item on the list for the team is to find them weapons. Many thought they took a major step by drafting Alabama running back Trent Richardson but as anyone will say quarterbacks can't decide games without receivers. Recent interviews between fans and Browns reporters sound a warning about the sorry state of the team receivers, citing dropped passes and bad routes. It's the same problem that dogged the Cleveland Browns offense last season and shows no signs of great improvement. In a division stacked with great defenses like Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati, the Browns can't expect Richardson to do all the work alone. They need more help for their young quarterbacks but the window to finding it closes with each passing day.
Ochocinco windows closing if Miami Dolphins offer an NFL contract
Probably the biggest name on the market is Chad Ochocinco who got cut by New England after the worst year of his career. While that should scare many away, most insiders think the reason Chad suffered a letdown wasn't because of his ability but more because of the Patriots complicated offense. A move to a more simple system could snap the 33-year-old out of his funk and at least one team would love to give him the chance. The Miami Dolphins have a history of dealing with outspoken receivers since they brought in Brandon Marshall back in 2010. Since then the Fins have become the soap opera of the 2012 offseason, trading Marshall to Chicago, failing to sign Peyton Manning despite being a favorite and then drafting Ryan Tannehill. Under new head coach Joe Philbin the Dolphins expect to start passing more but without Marshall they don't have much help at receiver. This explains their interest in Ochocinco. Cleveland should know Chad better than most NFL teams since they faced him for years as a Bengals. Together with fellow veteran Plaxico Burress, they make up a very interesting crop of free agents. Either man could instantly give the Browns offense a boost.
The Miami Dolphins aren't messing around when it comes to finding receiver help. If the Cleveland Browns ever want to stop living the shadow of their division rivals, they better do the same. Chad Ochocinco and Plaxico Burress aren't top choices but they're improvements over what's already there. Trent Richardson would surely love the help.
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