Dwayne Bowe

Dwayne Bowe has played less than 40 snaps this season.

(Joshua Gunter, Northeast Ohio Media Group)

BEREA, Ohio -- Receiver Dwayne Bowe, the poster boy for everything that's wrong with the Browns this season, knows he can still play even though he can't get on the field.

"I've never been through anything like this in my life,'' Bowe told cleveland.com last week. "It's the ultimate challenge.''



Signed as a free agent in the offseason to a two-year contract worth $12.5 million -- including $9 million guaranteed -- Bowe stood on the sidelines in street clothes during Sunday's 24-10 win over the 49ers for the seventh time as a healthy scratch this season. Instead, the Browns activated newcomer Terrelle Pryor and rookie Darius Jennings.

Bowe also missed the opener with the pulled hamstring that caused him to miss most of training camp.

In five games this season, he has three catches for 31 yards -- about $3 million per catch. That's 63.5 fewer receptions than he averaged in eight years in Kansas City 863 fewer yards.

All told, he's played only about 38 snaps this season and has barely been targeted.



"It's hard because I feel like I can contribute,'' said Bowe, who turned 31 in September. "If something's not working, you might want to go to something else, but I'm a player, not a coach. I'm also a team player, so whatever they want to do, I'm all about that.''

Bowe is still confident that if the Browns had put him in the game and thrown him the ball, he would've matched or exceeded his 66 catches and 894 yards. At 6-2, 222, he also felt he could've been the big-body wideout the Browns needed in the red zone -- a role that Terrelle Pryor will now likely play over the final three games.

"Of course I can still play,'' said Bowe. "I show it every day in practice. I feel like if they put me in there and threw the ball to me, I would've made big plays.''

Two weeks ago against the Bengals, he stood on the sidelines with Pryor despite the fact the Browns were without concussed receivers Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins. By the end of the game, the Browns were down to two healthy receivers, and one was rookie Darius Jennings, who had just been promoted from the practice squad.

"I just sit back and when my number 80 is called, I'll just go in and do the best I can,'' he said.

With Hartline undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a broken collarbone suffered against the 49ers, Bowe could see action in Seattle. But coach Mike Pettine said Pryor -- who played 16 snaps Sunday in his NFL debut at wideout -- will see more action, and the Browns signed receiver Ranell Hall of the Tampa Bay practice squad, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Central Florida.

The Browns also have Gabriel ready to return from his concussion, meaning Bowe could be inactive again.

"All I can do is look forward to the next opportunity,'' he said. "I love football. I love to be a role model for the young guys. When you're losing it doesn't seem like fun, but at the end of the day, you're still teaching somebody something and that's what I do.''

Bowe, who caught 60 passes for 754 yards last season in Kansas City, isn't really sure what happened to him here.

"Honestly I have no clue,'' he said.

He surmised that he was never able to catch back up after missing most of training camp with the pulled hamstring, especially with a new offensive coordinator in John DeFilippo who was installing a new scheme.

"When I got hurt, it set me back as far as the coach getting to know what I can do and things like that,'' he said. "I just got so far behind in the playbook and they added most of the main content when I was out. When I was got back, they were so far ahead, and to go back for me would've set the whole offense back.''

Bowe also underestimated the adjustment to a new team and new city after spending the first eight years of his career in Kansas City, where he was a first round pick (23rd overall) in 2007 out of Louisiana State. He was brought in by Browns general manager Ray Farmer, who had spent six years with him in Kansas City. He also knew linebacker Karlos Dansby, who shares the same agent.

"I thought it would be easy because I had a few guys I knew from Kansas City,'' he said. "But to get the same kind of supporting cast I had in Kansas City, you have to build that, and it's going to take more than one year.''

He said friends and coaches he knows in the league often ask him what's up.

"Everybody's wanted to see it,'' he said. "It's just unfortunate. The game I was activated and they threw me in, I made some big plays. It just depends on when you want it to happen.''

Bowe said it hasn't tempered his love for the game or his desire to keep playing, although he's realistic enough to know it probably won't be here.

"It doesn't matter where, as long as I'm playing football,'' he said. "I thought I'd never leave Kansas City, but it doesn't matter. I just want to play.''

While waiting for his opportunity, Bowe has tried to help the young receivers such as Gabriel and Jennings learn the game. He's also been a big help to Pryor, another big-body wideout.

"I'm just keeping the guys motivated, just helping them stay positive,'' said Bowe. "I just want to let everybody know it's not the end of the world if you're losing. You're still building chemistry. You still have a job. There's still a lot of positives to take out of this situation.''

As for his own situation, "things could always be worse. You look around the league, a lot of my friends have had season-ending injuries. I'm just glad I'm not on that side of the ball. That's how I keep a positive light on it.''

Bowe also takes some solace in the fact he's showing the young guys more than just how to run a route or get leverage on a defensive back.

"When it's their turn to deal with adversity, hopefully they'll remember to come to work with good energy and keep the guys around them together,'' he said. "You have to contribute in some type of positive way, or it will drive you crazy.''