On the heels of a 3-14 campaign, the Cleveland Browns need some veterans to step up in 2025 to ensure this upcoming season doesn’t fly off the rails like last year did.
The newcomers on the roster with the highest expectations are mostly the rookies from the intriguing 2025 draft class the Browns brought in, but there are still veterans on the roster who need to step up, including one veteran wide receiver who Hanford Dixon recently called out.
During a recent episode of The Hanford Dixon Show, Dixon said the wide receivers need to step up to help out this offense, and he specifically called out Cedric Tillman ahead of his third year in the NFL.
“It’s time for Cedric Tillman to come around. I mean, it’s really time for him to show up and show out. He’s a big target and we really need him.”
.@HanfordDixon29 NEEDS to see the wide receivers step up this season. #DawgPound
"I mean it's REALLY time for him to show up and show OUT."
Presented by @smartchoicewin_https://t.co/X2IWJiKYUJ pic.twitter.com/HO1Znttkg9
— The Hanford Dixon Show (@TopDawgShow) June 13, 2025
Dixon also mentioned David Bell as another receiver who needs to establish himself after playing in just one game last season and catching three passes for 27 yards.
Bell was a third-round pick in 2022 and contributed just 381 yards and three touchdowns in 31 games over his first two seasons, so this will be a make-or-break year for him that determines whether or not he has a future in the NFL.
Tillman is projected to have a much bigger role in the offense, as he is currently penciled in as the WR2 alongside Jerry Jeudy.
He took some steps forward last year despite the messy quarterback situation, most notably during a four-week stretch later in the season prior to suffering the concussion that knocked him out for the rest of the year.
From Weeks 7 through 11 last season, Tillman caught 24 passes in four games with Jameis Winston under center for 302 yards and three touchdowns.
Tillman will have every opportunity to prove that stretch wasn’t a fluke, and it will be a fun subplot to watch as the season gets underway.
NEXT: Joe Thomas Turns Heads With Interesting Advice For Shedeur Sanders
