The Cleveland Browns looked to be in selling mode as the team limped to a 1-5 start to the season, and rumors of trades turned into reality for the organization.
Several months after the Browns looked to be shopping wide receiver Amari Cooper, Cleveland finally pulled the trigger on a deal, sending the veteran player and sixth-round draft pick to Buffalo in exchange for a third-round pick in April and a seventh-rounder in 2026.
Cleveland was in disarray as their passing game was abysmal with Watson targeting Cooper consistently through the first six weeks.
With Cooper heading north, the Browns looked to their third-round draft pick in 2023 as his replacement.
It’s a call that wide receiver Cedric Tillman didn’t just take; indeed, he’s making the most of it.
Through two games without Cooper, Tillman has finished with 15 receptions on 21 targets, easily eclipsing the totals he had before the team’s trade.
In those two games, Tillman finished with two touchdowns and 180 receiving yards, marks that were among the NFL’s best in a two-game stretch for any receiver this year.
Tillman’s breakthrough came at the right time for the Browns.
Not only did his big performances help the Browns snap a five-game losing streak last week with veteran quarterback Jameis Winston under center, but his showings also suggest Cleveland has found a bonafide starter at this position.
It’s way too early to suggest that Tillman will be a star in the NFL.
Still, the Browns seem to have finally found a wide receiver who could help make a difference in Cleveland for several years to come.