Joe Jurevicius

The veteran said he is planning on taking a more active leadership roll with the team this year and that is good news for the Browns' young group of receivers. If healthy, Jurevicius should improve on his 40 catches for 495 yards and three touchdowns in 2006 that was filled with injuries.

Filling in for the injured Darrell Jackson, Jurevicius leveraged his 6-5, 230-pound frame into 10 touchdowns. In fact, Jurevicius converted his 10 red zone targets into five scores – far and away the best percentage of any receiver with 10 or more. Jurevicius is also a good route runner and tough to press at the line because of his size and strength. Of course, he’s not very fast and he’s not going to shake anyone after the catch. Jurevicius signed with the Browns this offseason and could very well be their top target with both Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow trying to return from injuries.

At 6-foot-5, Jurevicius will provide a big target over the middle for quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Jurevicius is a possession-type receiver, but that role is already adquately filled by Bobby Engram. So, it remains to be seen how involved Jurevicius will be. His biggest concern, though, is to stay healthy. Entering the season, the injury-plagued Jurevicius appears fully recovered from knee and back ailments, both of which required surgery.

Jurevicius lost almost all of 2003 due to injury, but if he's healthy, he'll be a strong contender for a starting role in 2004.

Jurevicius caught 37 passes for 423 yards last season (11.4 ypc, 4 TDs), ranking third amongst Bucs WRs in receptions and fourth overall. If healthy, we'd expect him to deliver that much or more in 2003, as Jon Gruden has hinted he'll get more looks in the offense this season (although he likely will not displace either Keyshawn Johnson or Keenan McCardell unless one of those two gets hurt). An emotional winter for Jurevicius, as his team's Super Bowl win was sandwiched around the birth and subsequent death of his infant son.