Getty Images Elijah Moore and Anthony Schwartz of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have added another wide receiver to the mix, inking Marquise Goodwin to a one-year deal.
The move is bad news for former third-round pick Anthony Schwartz, who hung around thanks to his blazing speed. However, both Goodwin and recent trade acquisition Elijah Moore can replicate that speed, which puts Schwartz’s roster spot in jeopardy.
Schwartz was already very much on the bubble heading into this season. He’s yet to produce to the level the Browns expected when taking him out of Auburn in 2021. Schwartz has just 14 catches in two seasons for 186 yards.
He was given some opportunity to step up but has struggled with drops and overall consistency. During a preseason contest last season, he was booed by the home crowd.
“He’s very accountable. I know he wants to be better,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said at the time. “I know he’ll work very hard. All of our guys are going to continue to try to get better, and I know Anthony will, as well.”
However, time is running out and he’s getting buried on the depth chart by players with similar skill sets.
“Not a good sign, at all, for a player like Anthony Schwartz,” Brad Stainbrook of the Orange and Brown report tweeted after the signing of Goodwin.
Goodwin Signs 1-Year Deal With Browns
The Browns are signing former Seahawks WR Marquise Goodwin to a 1-year deal, per source.
After trading for Elijah Moore, Cleveland adds a second WR this week.
Goodwin had visited the Browns earlier in the week but did not get a deal done before he departed. Cleveland made a trade for Moore on Wednesday but decided adding more speed with a veteran like Goodwin wouldn’t hurt.
Field Yates of ESPN first reported the news of Goodwin’s one-year deal.
Goodwin is as fast as they come, even at 32. He ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at the combine back in 2013 and speed is still a very big part of his game. The former third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills has been around the league, playing for five different franchises. Most recently he suited up for the Seattle Seahawks, nabbing 27 catches for 387 yards and four touchdowns last season.
“He’s extraordinarily fast,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Goodwin last season. “He’s a gifted athlete. Gosh, he came right out here on day one and he still shows he can fly. He’s a real disciplined route runner and he’s also a guy who’s played all the spots, so I’m thinking that he will add something—one, what he brings athletically, but also his background and his makeup and his versatility, I’m hoping will just rub off on other guys as he goes through it.”
His best year came in 2017, when he caught 56 balls for 962 yards and a pair of scores.
Moore Excited to Play With Deshaun Watson
Goodwin joins a Browns wide receiver corps that includes Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Moore as the top pass-catchers. The Browns also have second-year receiver David Bell as someone who could contribute next season.
The Browns had been sniffing around the trade market to beef up their wide receiver unit and landed on Moore, who didn’t come at a huge cost. New York will receive the No. 42 overall pick in the draft in exchange for Moore, while also sending No. 74 overall back to Cleveland.
“I am super excited. He is a legit quarterback,” Moore said of playing with Deshaun Watson. “He is someone who has been doing some amazing things around the league. He has respect from everybody around the league. They talk really highly about him here, and they believe in him. With him being my quarterback, I believe in him, too. I am grateful to be one of his guys.”
The Browns will face the Jets next season at home in the regular season.