Former Tennessee Vols standout took advantage of new NFL opportunity on Sunday
Sometimes, it takes a while for your moment to appear, and that's especially the case in the NFL. With the commonly repeated mantra of "next man up", it can sometimes take a while for a true opportunity to arise for a player. That was the case with former Tennessee Vol and current Cleveland Browns wide […]
Sometimes, it takes a while for your moment to appear, and that's especially the case in the NFL. With the commonly repeated mantra of "next man up", it can sometimes take a while for a true opportunity to arise for a player.
That was the case with former Tennessee Vol and current Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman.
Tillman was drafted in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft, but through a season and a half, he hasn't made a significant impact yet, appearing in 21 games but with just 5 starts with 32 catches for 314 yards.
After last week's big move, that could be changing. The Browns traded #1 wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on October 15.
On Sunday, it appears that move could be pushing Tillman into a more prominent role with the team. In a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tillman had the most productive game of his career by far. He led the Browns with 81 receiving yards and had 8 catches on 12 targets, both second to only tight end David Njoku. Tillman also drew a pass interference penalty and caught a two-point conversion.
Tillman proved at Tennessee that he had the traits of becoming a successful NFL wide receiver. With a big frame (6'3", 215 pounds) and good speed, he surely fit the physical mold. But it was his big play ability particularly in 2021 (his 2022 season was cut short with an ankle injury) that made him an enticing prospect for scouts. He finished that season with 64 catches for 1081 yards with 12 touchdowns.
Now, finally, it appears as though he could be getting his chance to show the Browns that their faith in taking him in 2023 was warranted. Dorian Thompson-Robinson appears set to take over as the starter after DeShaun Watson suffered a torn Achilles against the Bengals. If so, that could be particularly good news for the former Vol's chances of taking off.
The two were teammates back in high school at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. As such, there's a very strong familiarity there, and it was clear given how much Thompson-Robinson looked Tillman's way before he left the game with a finger injury that does not appear to be major. Jameis Winston came in and still managed to connect with Tillman late in the contest.
We'll find out in the coming weeks if Sunday was the beginning of a big step forward for Tillman with the Browns.
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