The Cleveland Browns set out this offseason to upgrade the weapons around quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson had a shaky return to the field after nearly two calendar years in 2022, which can be attributed to how long he was away from the game. But, the supporting cast around him played a part as well.
The Browns have a bonafide No. 1 option in Amari Cooper, who proved once again in 2022 that he can fill that go-to void. Donovan Peoples-Jones emerged as a legitimate No. 2 option opposite him and is blossoming into a very good player.
Beyond those two, Cleveland received virtually zero production from the wide receiver position. So, the front office went to work revamping the depth chart. 2021 second-round pick, Elijah Moore, was acquired in a trade from the New York Jets and could factor into the mix as the No. 3 wide receiver.
In free agency, speedster Marquise Goodwin was signed to bring a different element to the offense. In the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Browns selected Cedric Tillman out of Tennessee.
With all of those additions, there have to be some subtractions. 2022 third-round pick David Bell sounds like he is safe, for now. “Bell …will make the 53-man roster,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote. “Kevin Stefanski loved him coming out of Purdue last season, and still sees the same tremendous potential in him as a slot receiver in the mold of Jarvis Landry.”
But, the roster standing of 2021 third-round pick, Anthony Schwartz, is not as strong. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report listed Schwartz as one of the players who could find themselves on the roster bubble in training camp and with good reason.
Known for his speed coming out of Auburn, Schwartz has yet to make an impact at the next level in two seasons. With Goodwin now in the fold, the Browns have someone capable of taking the top off of the defense downfield. Schwartz will have to show that he has developed into more than a one-trick pony and provide value to the team as he looks to be the sixth wide receiver on the depth chart.
That isn’t a place anyone wants to be, especially someone who doesn’t offer a ton on special teams, either. Schwartz will be fighting for a roster spot and needs a big training camp to change the organization’s mind about moving on from him.
