Pass Catcher Preview: What might a Browns target share look like in 2023?

When you acquire a quarterback who has the talents Deshaun Watson has shown in the NFL, you'd be hard-pressed to say the offense needs to remain run-heavy. In 2022, the offense was nearly even: Cleveland ranked 25th in passing percentages, meaning of the 100% of plays, they ran 52.33% pass plays. By sheer number, their pass attempts only outweighed their rushing attempts by eight. 8! ((That does not include the 44 sacks that Brissett and Watson both incurred, but eight feels like a much more impactful stat over 52.)) With a running back like Nick Chubb, it makes sense to lean on the run, but the team seems poised to have a more high flying offense this fall.Head coach (and play-caller) Kevin Stefanski has stated that the coaching staff has and will always looking to improve or change things up between not only the seasons but the weeks as well. And the front office seems to be on board with adding more to the passing game with some of their personnel moves. Elijah Moore was added from the New York Jets for a second-round draft pick, and former Watson teammate Jordan Akins was brought in from the Houston Texans. Finally, burner Marquise Goodwin signed with the team but is set to miss some time, possibly even the entire season, with a blood clot issue. All of these additions were much needed, as the proposed "more spread out" offense needed to add more quantity and quality to wide receivers Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and tight end David Njoku.So what would a target share look like? Let's say things go exactly to plan, just as they always do for Cleveland teams, and they go from 52/48 pass-to-rush to 58/42. That would nestle them 15th in the NFL in 2022, ahead of the Los Angles Rams. It's not unquestionable for a team to make big jumps like that. Indianapolis and Arizona made similar jumps from 2021 to 2022, and while those teams generally sucked in 2022, we can look at teams like Seattle (56 to 59), Miami (59.7 to 61.9), and Cincinnati (59.48 to 62.3) were all good teams that increased their pass plays in 2022. Anyway...getting back to the numbers: a 6% increase in pass plays would account for 647 pass attempts, a little over 100 more. Where do those all go, especially when you add in the targets that went to Kareem Hunt, who is unsigned still. That pushes the number to nearly 150.The easy answer is Elijah Moore. Moore appeared in 16 games, started nine, and had 65 targets in those contests. The coaching staff and the media members that have had the chance to watch the Greenbriar practices and early training camp drills have all raved about Moore's route running, and the team does have big plans on getting the ball in the hands of the nimble wideout. Will he get 100+ targets? If you're looking at a *touches* perspective, maybe, as they have said they want to get him some jet sweeps and plays out of the backfield, but probably not 100 targets in the passing games.Akins stands to see some of the increase as well, but the red zone targets are usually Njoku's time to shine. Akins went 5-for-9 in the red zone last year for 36 yards and two touchdowns in Houston and will likely see some down there in Cleveland but Njoku went 11-for-19 and 77 yards, hauling in three tudders. Akins had 54 targets overall in 2022 and adding those to Cleveland gets us that much closer to the lucky number.The real target star will likely be Peoples-Jones. On the precipice of busting out, DPJ almost had 100 targets in 2022, going 61-for-96, 839, and three touchdowns. All three of Cleveland's top wide receivers will mix and match inside and outside, despite the fact that Cooper had the 4th most targets out of the slot in 2022. Peoples-Jones has the size to be outside, but the route-running ability to play anywhere. Getting over the 100 target point is likely for DPJ and will catapult him into the open market after the season.Will Chubb be a third-down back in 2023? He saw 37 targets in 2022 and without a big-name running back as his handcuff, he looks to be on the field more this season. Jerome Ford exists, and there are rumblings that he looks good as a backup, but Hunt was special for a while, and nobody on the roster is ready to take up those targets but Chubb. 2023 could be a year where Chubb gets over 2,000 all-purpose yards.A fun, fast-paced offense is on the docket for 2023 and I know I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do with an increased passing game.