Stallworth was brought in to stretch the field. If the O-line plays like it dod against the Giants and Lions, there'll be no time for him to get through a pattern. I'm expecting a ton of 3 and 5 step drops, taking advantage of DA's quick release. DA won't have time for a 7 step, scan the field type play unless the Browns somehow establish the run with a dinged up Lewis, and then work off play action.
ETA: I am a Stallworth owner, and a Browns fan, and I am not starting him until I see that they have corrected the dreck we saw in preseason.
Good points here. Edwards and Winslow benefit from the shorter routes/drops and quicker developing plays. That said, Stallworth could still use his speed and ability to run after the catch if the Cowboys roll their coverage towards the two Pro Bowlers. Stallworth is a shaky start, always has been in my book, but the situation today is favorable from a sleeper perspective knowing the Cowboys secondary remains the biggest question mark on their defense. With Newman playing a limited role (nickel and dime) and Pacman starting it makes for some intriguing matchups. Jones is never going to be a shutdown corner. He's a playmaker, which means he'll make the guy he's covering a playmaker at times, too. Too bad Cribbs is limited with his high ankle sprain. I'd love to see him in the slot today going against Newman/Scandrick.
Why is "Stallworth was brought in to stretch the field" some sort of unassailable logic that nobody wants to investigate further? Are they just going to send him on go routes all game long? I too have had Stallworth on a dynasty roster (that I inherited) and have waited, often in vain, for him to reach his potential, but while he's not a WR1 he most certainly is a talented guy who can do other things besides simply running deep.
I thought he was incredibly effective two years ago for the Eagles running intermediate crossing routes with McNabb hitting him for nice RAC yards. There's no reason to believe that he can't do that with Derek Anderson too, even with the injuries to the offense.
I think the Cowboys defensive secondary is that team's Achilles heel, and doubly so without Newman, their best (by far) cover DB. That gets lost a little in the discussion about how good the Cowboys are overall, but they definitely can be attacked, and the Browns are one of the few teams with a legitimately threatening TE that will cause problems for the Cowboys in deciding how to roll coverage, who to double, etc.
I like Stallworth. Yeah, he's boom or bust, but he
does boom so why not today? I have him starting as my WR3 behind A Johnson and Colston FWIW, and I love his upside in that sort of role for my team.