BEREA, Ohio -- Imagine if Ray Farmer released a Pro Bowl receiver last off-season and allowed another high-caliber one to leave in free agency this year.

Imagine if the Browns general manager revealed how much he valued a receiver's downfield blocking and the ability to sell a pattern in which he wasn't the primary target.

Farmer has been criticized for his perceived war on high-end wideouts, characterized as a decision maker falling behind the times in a pass-oriented NFL.

But the aforementioned actions and philosophies are from an NFL coach considered an offensive innovator. Chip Kelly has led the Eagles to a pair of 10-6 seasons in his first two years and runs one of the league's most imaginative attacks. He's also the coach who released DeSean Jackson, let Jeremy Maclin walk on the open market and is ramping up his rushing attack with the acquisitions of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews.

Please don't misinterpret this as a defense of Farmer or an attempt to liken him to Kelly, who's now also in charge of the Eagles' player personnel moves. It's just interesting to see how others approach the game, especially considering the Browns' pursuit of the former Oregon coach following the 2012 season.

Since spurning the Cleveland offer, Kelly has made a series of bold decisions -- swapping quarterbacks with the Rams -- and retooling the Eagles' lineup with a flurry of transactions. Some Browns fans can't help but wonder what their club would look like today with Kelly and fellow unconventional thinker Joe Banner in charge and Farmer serving as an assistant general manager.

There's no doubt the franchise would have taken on a different appearance, but how much so? The basic offensive philosophies appear similar. Heading into the draft, the Eagles are emphasizing the running game while taking a receiver-by-committee route.

Sound familiar?

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has gone 10-6 in each of his first two seasons.

This isn't to say Farmer deserves the benefit of the doubt. The Browns GM survived a turbulent first season that produced a pair of dubious first-round picks and a texting scandal that could cost him a future draft choice along with the trust of his head coach. But there exists an against-the-grain mentality in both Farmer and Kelly, most notably in how they view receivers.

(It's important to note the Eagles reportedly were willing to pay Maclin almost $10 million per season, but not $11 million per season, which he earned over five years with the Chiefs and his once-and-future coach Andy Reid.)

The Browns bolstered their receiving corps in free agency with the acquisition of Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe. Neither is considered a legitimate No. 1 wideout at this stage of his career, combining for two touchdown catches last season, both by Hartline. The club ranked last in TD passes with 12 a year ago.

Farmer took considerable grief for not selecting a wideout in the receiver-rich 2014 draft despite being armed with two first-round picks and the knowledge former All-Pro Josh Gordon would miss a substantial portion of the season due to another failed drug test. The general manager remained unapologetic for his decision at a season-ending news conference.

"Again, I'm a believer that this whole notion that you've got to have this one guy that's the silver bullet is a myth," Farmer said. "I think it's like trying to catch werewolves and vampires. They just don't exist."

In fairness, the Browns were a more efficient passing team before Gordon's late-season return, and they won't have to worry about his presence this year as he's been suspended indefinitely.

Based on the release of Jackson following the 2013 campaign, you can make the argument Kelly would have taken a similar road with Gordon and his off-field conduct.

The Browns were 3-6 when Gordon compiled at least 100 yards receiving the past three seasons.

"A wide receiver may touch the ball 10 times if he's having a great day so I just like the idea of let's get the guys that affect the game all the time and let's try and get those guys and make a difference for our football team," Farmer said at the end of last season.

The general manager conceded at the NFL combine that his perceived 'anti-receiver' campaign might be a "smokescreen," as the Browns approach the draft holding the Nos. 12 and 19 overall picks.

Prior to free agency, I made the case for using one of those assets on a front-line wideout. After the Hartline and Bowe acquisitions, I can see them trading one or both picks to upgrade at quarterback. I'm not sure it's the right move -- it will depend on the asking price and whether Marcus Mariota falls past the Titans, who select at No. 2.

Former Eagles' wideout Jeremy Maclin enjoyed an outstanding season, but the Eagles refused to outbid the Chiefs for his services.

What's impossible to ignore is the value of a great quarterback. Here are some statistics regarding quarterbacks, receivers and running backs in the past decade using the Associated Press' All-Pro status as a guide.

* Among All-Pro quarterbacks, all but one of the first- or second-team selections have led their teams to the playoffs in the corresponding seasons.

* Among All-Pro wide receivers, 27 of 41 helped their team reach the postseason.

* Among All-Pro running backs, 23 of 39 contributed to playoff teams.

What's eye catching is the similar figures between receivers and running backs -- and rarely did a playoff team possess one of each.

Farmer and Kelly could become well acquainted in the coming weeks. Both could make runs up the draft board for Mariota, recruited to Oregon by Kelly. The Browns GM might also consider trading the No. 12 pick to the Eagles for Sam Bradford. There are reports the Browns already have inquired about him this off-season.

In a spare moment, Farmer and Kelly might chat about their feelings regarding the importance of top-tier wideouts and the grief each has absorbed from their respective fan bases.

"I'm a big believer in it's a team sport, and when we combine the requisite skill sets necessary to let guys have success we have that success," Farmer said.

The Eagles also stress a team-first attitude when it comes to receivers, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer story published Sunday. Kelly is a big proponent of player performance away from the ball, dating to his days with the Ducks, wrote Jeff McLane. Some of Oregon's toughest players were receivers. The coach lauds downfield blocking and running good routes that draw defenders away from the primary target.

It sounds as though Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins might earn more praise than Gordon if Kelly coached the Browns.

Farmer and coach Mike Pettine allocated prime assets a year ago to improving the Browns' woeful running game and produced better numbers in yards per game (108) and touchdowns (17). The Eagles led the NFL in rushing (160.4 yards) two seasons ago and clearly want to get back to that plateau with the combination of Murray and Mathews.

Kelly wants to push the pace and spread the field. He's fashioned top-10 overall offenses with Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Michael Vick at quarterback over the last two seasons. It's a testament to good schemes and a healthy ground game.

It will be fascinating to see if the Eagles and Browns go after high-end receivers in the draft. The Browns are breaking in a first-year coordinator and uncertainty abounds at quarterback.

The clubs are in different stages of offensive development, but it seems they share basic core philosophies when it comes to the receiving game.