Can offseason reps lead WR Cedric Tillman to a second-year leap? The Browns believe so

BEREA — Cedric Tillman was standing in the visitors locker room in Denver last November talking about what turned out to be the Browns rookie wide receiver's best statistical game of the season.

Granted, it was just four catches for 55 yards Tillman had that afternoon in a 17-point Cleveland loss. However, in a season in which he struggled to get on the field — or even be active on gameday — over the first seven games, it was tangible progress for the former University of Tennessee pass catcher.

In the moment, Tillman acknowledged the balance of being patient and a desire to make plays.

"Yeah, I'm just being patient, trusting the process," Tillman said on Nov. 26. "Today the ball kind of came to me more so, like I said, I'm just doing my job, man. The ball come to me, I'm going to catch it. If not, I'm going to try to block my ass off."

The game against the Broncos was part of a season-ending stretch in which Tillman averaged 56.4 offensive snaps a game. It ended when he was forced to leave the regular-season finale with a season-ending concussion.

Tillman finished with 21 catches and 224 yards on 44 targets in 14 games. It was the initial taste of pro life for the third-round draft pick.

That taste obviously hooked Tillman, whose father, Cedric, also played in the NFL. He attacked the Browns' voluntary offseason program like few others, which drew praise from his head coach.

"I don't believe Ced missed the day of the offseason program," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said at the end of minicamp last month. "He was here every single day. I know he got better because of that. And I think he got better in the weight room, got better in the meeting room, definitely got better on the grass. So, you know, you would love to say, 'Hey, everybody, be here every day.' … I think he's a young player that's getting better."

Tillman also may have been the latest example of a player who took advantage of an opportunity presented. It may not have been ideal in the moment for the Browns, but it could have long-term benefits.

Amari Cooper, the clear No. 1 receiver who is seeking a contract extension, not only was not present for any of the OTAs, but also missed mandatory minicamp. Jerry Jeudy, who was acquired from the Broncos in March, didn't participate in the on-field portion of minicamp because of a nagging injury.

Those absences opened the door for Tillman, who took advantage of the extra reps.

"Cedric Tillman’s been outstanding," wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea said. "He has taken every rep and used that as an opportunity to become better. I see a lot of improvement in him in year two. Obviously, there were some things he did in year one we were very pleased with and so excited about his future watching him in year one, but can’t say enough about how well he’s done on the field for us as far as his work ethic, making plays. I think he’s more confident in year two, which you would hope is the case with a young player."

The Browns would love for Tillman to emerge into, at the very least, a strong No. 4 wide receiver behind Cooper, Jeudy and Elijah Moore. That would provide much-needed depth at the position, where they're banking on multiple players either finding new life in a new home (Jeudy) or finally realizing their talents.

For Tillman to realize his own talents and truly make the leap, it's about both building on the good things from a year ago while also fixing the things that seemed to continually be an issue. Among the good was strong hands that allowed him to make some tough catches, but the bad was the fact, according to Pro Football Focus, five interceptions came on passes targeted to him.

That's why the Browns were so impressed with what they saw from Tillman this offseason.

"Till, he's been working," quarterback Deshaun Watson said during minicamp. "He's been working really, really hard and you can see he's been improving. He's knowing what he’s got to do on each and every rep. He can play different positions, he can run all the routes, he can catch the big boy balls, you can toss it up to him and he can catch the tough ones and the easy ones.

"So I think he's going to be a great addition for this offense and he's going to help us out."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ