Could Darnell Mooney be the missing link to Cleveland’s lack of offensive explosion?
Kevin Stefanski and this Cleveland Browns offense has been missing one thing in its wide receiver room over the past two to three seasons, and that’s game-breaking speed.
The Browns have a decent amount of talent amongst its core of wide receivers, but the ability to consistently outrun defensive backs downfield has been its “Achilles heel” for a while now. Darnell Mooney would not only be able to bring explosive speed to Cleveland, but he’s a better overall route-runner than he gets credit for as well. His twitchy, compact build allows him to flow in and out of his breaks smoothly and his smaller stature makes it easier for him to whip back around on comeback routes without wasted movement.
Mooney would be an outstanding addition to this team in 2024 and might be able to “fix” the problem that’s plagued the offensive side of the ball as of late.
Despite their current financial situation, they can create a decent amount of cap space within the next month ($40M+). Andrew Berry has always done a great job of being able to get the best “bang for his buck” in Free Agency and he’ll most likely continue to do so in 2024.
We will continue to profile free agents as we head into the NFL combine. Once we have data from draft prospects we will add NFL draft profiles as well.
Name
Darnell Mooney
Position
Wide Receiver
Height/Weight
5’11”, 175 pounds
2023 Team
Stats
2023: 15 games, 14 starts – 31 recs., 414 rec. yards, 13.4 yards/rec., 1 touchdown
Career: 60 games, 49 starts – 213 recs., 2593 rec. yards, 12.2 yards/rec., 11 touchdowns
PFF Grade: 55.2
2023 Contract
Final year of Chicago deal, $3,063,512 cap number
Fit with Browns
Mooney seems to be the type of player that Kevin Stefanski has been searching for since the day he was hired. He’s been looking for an explosive playmaker who can outrun defenders both downfield and laterally underneath on crossing routes to stretch the field horizontally.
Mooney’s 4.38 speed has been on full display during his time in Chicago, and he could be exactly what this new and improved offense needs to take the next step in 2024.
Browns player signing could impact
Elijah Moore – If the team were to sign Mooney, it would most likely have the biggest impact on Moore in terms of his alignment going forward. Mooney has been more useful and effective in the slot so Moore would most likely have to play outside more frequently, which might end up being a good thing for Elijah as well.
How signing could impact the NFL Draft
The only impact that the signing would have is in regards to the type of receiver that Cleveland could go after in April. They’d still most likely take a wide receiver relatively early but they might be more inclined to go after a bigger-bodied player, rather than a smaller “speedster”.
Priority
Medium. Everyone knows that this Cleveland offense lacks game-breaking speed and explosion in the wide receiver room, and someone like Darnell Mooney would be able to provide that to the highest degree.
Projected APY: $4,997,000
Who are some of your favorite free-agent wide receivers besides Darnell Mooney? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
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