One of the biggest needs for the Cleveland Browns this offseason was finding more weapons for Deshaun Watson in the passing game. Amari Cooper continued performing at a high level after being acquired in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys and is locked in as the No. 1 target.
Donovan Peoples-Jones played well during the 2022 season and has likely cemented his status as the No. 2 receiver behind him. Beyond those two, however, there wasn’t much to get excited about at wide receiver.
Third on the team in receptions and yardage for a wide receiver was rookie David Bell, who caught 24 passes for 214 yards and zero touchdowns. He was seventh on the team in receptions and sixth in yardage, so an upgrade was certainly needed.
Cleveland did bring in some reinforcements this offseason. Speedster Marquise Goodwin was signed away from the Seattle Seahawks and Elijah Moore was acquired in a trade from the New York Jets. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Browns selected Cedric Tillman out of Tennessee.
With so many new additions, there will eventually be a numbers crunch at the position. That could put someone such as Anthony Schwartz in danger of being on the move. He was named a potential cut or trade candidate for the Browns once June 1st rolls around.
It is hard to argue against the move. If Cleveland needs to open up any amount of money, Schwartz is definitely someone that will be on the chopping block. A third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Auburn, he has failed to make any impact at the next level with the Browns.
In two seasons, Schwartz has played in 25 games, catching 14 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. He saw his snaps offensively in 2022 cut in more than half compared to his rookie season in 2021.
Schwartz did play more on special teams, on the field for 88 snaps last season compared to 52 as a rookie. That could be his saving grace to remain on the roster as his offensive snaps are likely going to be scaled back again this season. It is hard to envision him being higher than fifth on the depth chart at the position and could very well be battling it out for a roster spot throughout the summer.
