Dwayne Bowe and Terrelle Pryor are 3rd and 4th on Browns depth chart, where inactives usually reside
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns receivers Dwayne Bowe and Terrelle Pryor, who spent the summer in hamstring hell, are both now in depth chart purgatory heading into Sunday's opener against the New York Jets.
Bowe, who played most of the preseason finale in Chicago alongside mostly backups, is listed as the third team wideout on the right side behind Brian Hartline and Travis Benjamin -- and Pryor is fourth team behind Bowe.
On the opposite side, Andew Hawkins is listed first, followed by Taylor Gabriel and Marlon Moore.
It's dangerous territory over there on the far right of the depth chart, where players are in jeopardy of being inactive on gameday, when only 45 of the 53 players dress.
The two big men, who missed most of the preseason with their hamstring injuries, combined for one catch in preseason for 8 yards, by Bowe in Chicago.
Before and during that game, WEWS game analyst Solomon Wilcots said Bowe was "absolutely'' on the roster bubble and that coaches told him they needed to see something from him in the game. Bowe wasn't actually on the bubble because he has a new two-year contract worth $12.5 million, including $9 million guaranteed. But the coaches sent the message loud and clear in that game -- and with the depth chart -- that they need Bowe to step it up and prove his worth.
Does Bowe think the coaches gave Wilcots the impression he's in the doghouse?
"I doubt it,'' he said. "I'm an old guy. They would've let me know if there was an issue.''
Have they been frustrated that he missed so much time with the hamstring?
"I know they want guys to be healthy when the season season comes around,'' he said. "I haven't felt anything toward me, so that's a good thing.''
As for Wilcots' report, Bowe said, "I don't even know what to say about that. We know what's going on in here. I don't think he knew all of that (about the injury and the guarantee). I'm a playmaker and I'm ready to go out and help this team.''
Pryor, who narrowly made the roster as a receiver, can also serve as the emergency third quarterback which might help his cause, but Pettine wouldn't say Monday if he'll be active.
"I'm not going to speak on actives, inactives,'' said Pettine.
Pettine cautioned that Pryor will have to quickly start earning his keep to stick around.
"It was something we've talked about in here at length [in the media room] that it was – I think the phrase 'leap of faith' (for him to make the team) was used, and I agree with that,'' Pettine said. "That spot is largely because of his potential, but as the season goes on, I mean it's sooner than later that that's going to have to translate, that's he's going to have to be a productive member of this team. You walk that fine line between 'Hey, we think this guy can do it,' but as we all know, the NFL is a win now business and we need our players to be productive. All of that weighed into the decision."
Pettine acknowledged that Pryor's ability to play Wildcat like he did for two snaps in Chicago can give a defense something to think about.
"Anytime you can run something that's simple for you offensively that causes stress on the other side of the ball, that will potentially cost some meeting time, some practice time, some walkthrough time,'' said Pettine. "I put that in the body punch category. You'll never know the effect that you had, but I think we always need to have those types of things.
"Whether it's a diverse empty backfield package, all of the stuff that can cause issues, whether its Wildcat, some of the unbalanced line, special plays and those types of things that you have out there that causes wasted time on defense. I've been a part of it on the other end. You need those types of plays as changeups.
Things aren't going well with your conventional stuff, what are some things you can do to break a game open? I think a good offense has those in waiting."
Bowe, who predicted in preseason that Pryor would be 'very, very good,' said he was very excited about him making the team.
"He's very versatile,'' said Bowe, a ninth-year pro. "We can do a lot of things with him. I think it was a good move to keep him to keep a defense on edge. He still can throw the ball too.''
Bowe acknowledged that it helps to have a tall receiver in the red zone. Pryor is 6-4, almost 6-5.
"It just makes it easier for the OC to have big guys on the outside going up against the little defenders,'' said Bowe.
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