Amari Cooper says Browns fans 'just have to wait and see' new offense in season opener

BEREA — Amari Cooper couldn't tell you what the Browns' first offensive play of the season will be, even if he wanted to tell you. The Pro Bowl receiver doesn't know exactly how the initial script will line up for the opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, Cooper knows what the Browns offense is going to look like when they finally get to a game that actually counts on Sunday.

“I mean, I would be lying if I said I didn't know what the offense is going to look like," Cooper said Thursday. "I mean, we all get the game plan. We all get the first 15 (plays). We haven't gotten that yet, but the huge part of preparation is to actually know the game plan. So of course I know what the offense is going to look like, yeah.”

What even Cooper doesn't know is how the offense will look once it's time to get out on the field. He can speculate all he wants about what will occur on the field against Cincinnati, about the possibility of big plays and lots of points.

Cooper, though, is channeling his former coach at the University of Alabama when it comes to that question.

“Of course, like Coach (Nick) Saban said, I don't have a crystal ball probably," Cooper said. "So I don't know. But like I said before, we got the pieces. I mean, every team thinks that they have the pieces. We practice. We prepare well, but we'll just have to wait and see. Yeah, we just have to wait and see.”

Wait and see is what Browns fans have been doing since last season ended. That's specifically true when it comes to what they will see from an offense they have been assured will look different than what it did a season ago, regardless of who the quarterback was at the time.

The object has been to style an offense that maximizes the various skills quarterback Deshaun Watson brings to the table. That was accomplished only at the most basic of levels during his six games a year ago.

"The offense has been his from day one, really since he got put in at the end of last year," left guard Joel Bitonio said of Watson. "We loved Jacoby, but they run two different offenses kind of and things like that, so we were kind of working on both last year. And this year it's just our offense, the Cleveland Browns offense, and I think it's been really good for him. I think he's building his confidence up and we're confident in him to go out there and perform."

Watson, coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt have put their heads together for the last several months to adjust the offense. It's not just about fitting it to Watson, it's about figuring out a way to maximize him while also utilizing other players like Cooper, Elijah Moore, David Njoku and Nick Chubb.

Within that, however, is the opponent-specific game plans. What you see against the Bengals probably isn't going to be exactly what is shown the ensuing Monday night when the Browns play at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I think that's one of the things we always strive to do offensively, is to stay multiple and versatile and make teams defend multiple looks, multiple personnel groupings, multiple formations," Van Pelt said. "That's part of our system, and that's how we've started it, so I do believe so.

"We'll see how it goes. Every year is different with injuries and the things that come with the football season, but I feel like we have the pieces where if we need to change and go in a different direction, we have that available."

That offensive evolution is something Watson said is normal. It's not even about the specific game plans as much as it is a continued development of his relationship with his coaches.

Those relationships are ultimately what allows both sides to have the confidence to be able to speak their minds with regards to a specific game plan.

“We’re going to continue to grow throughout the season," Watson said this week. "It's not finalized. I don't think it's ever finalized. If you talk to the great ones that played with their coach or their OC for a very long time, I think each and every year there's something that you can evolve and take your offense to another level. So it's been great.”

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Amari Cooper says fans 'just have to wait and see' Browns' new offense