Browns Receiver Likely Cut Candidate After Tough Preseason Debut

Anthony Schwartz might have fumbled away his chance of making the Cleveland Browns roster on Thursday night against the New York Jets.

Schwartz, a wide receiver, entered his third NFL season firmly on the roster bubble and he didn’t do himself any favors against the Jets. Schwartz caught one pass for seven yards but fumbled the ball away at the end of the catch after being tackled by a group of Jets defenders. New York flipped the turnover into an early field goal.

“With Marquise Goodwin (blood clots) sidelined, the door was open for speedster Anthony Schwartz to seize the moment. That fumble won’t help him,” veteran Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweeted after the play.

Schwartz has world-class speed, but he’s been plagued by drops, injuries and overall sloppy play that has prevented him from getting on the field. The August 3 preseason game was another example of that.

But even with Goodwin sidelined and without a timetable for his return, the Browns have enough depth at wide receiver that they don’t need to hang on to Schwartz. Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Elijah Moore are locked in as the team’s top three receivers, with rookie Cedric Tillman and David Bell also in the mix. The Browns also have a pair of strong pass-catching options at tight end in David Njoku and Jordan Akins.

The Browns drafted Schwartz in 2021 and he has just 14 catches in two seasons for 186 yards.

Bleacher Report had put Schwartz first on their list of Browns who need to shine in training camp or risk release. “It’s possible he could get lost in the mix” without a strong showing, Jake Rill wrote in a July 17 story.

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Browns WR Anthony Schwartz Struggled After Criticism for Drops

Last year, Schwartz was booed in the preseason after a pattern of drops. He admitted to Cleveland.com that the criticism he heard on social media and elsewhere took a toll on his mental health, but he credited his teammates for trying to lift him up.

“Going into Year 2, I know a lot was expected out of me,” Schwartz said. “So I feel like I just kind of overdid it in my head, and at that point it just sort of spiraled down. It felt like the whole world was crashing down at one point.

“It got to a point where I’m just kind of like, we’re gonna focus on me, like all the outside noise, just got to block it out. And that’s kind of whether it’s on social media or in the game, it’s kind of just let it be. Let them be and I’m going to control what I can control.”

Schwartz also took some heat as a rookie in 2021, when his stopping on a route on a pass from Baker Mayfield resulted in an interception. Mayfield went to make a tackle on the play and injured his shoulder — an ailment that would hang around for the rest of that season.

“It mainly bothered me because I kind of felt like people were trying to blame me for something when we both did something wrong on that play,’’ Schwartz said. “I didn’t finish the play and I don’t think he made the right read, but we were both wrong and unfortunately it ended up like that.”

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Dorian Thompson-Robinson Shines for Browns in Win Over Jets

One player who did make a postitive impact was quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The rookie QB entered at the half and helped the Browns to the 21-16 comeback win with a touchdown strike and some dynamic plays.

Thompson-Robinson made the case that he could be the primary backup to Deshaun Watson with his play, completing 8-of-11 passes for 82 yards and the score. His QB rating was 124.1 and he added 36 yards on the ground.

“He made some nice plays. Made some plays with his feet,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I thought the route on the touchdown was outstanding. Good read, good throw.”

The Browns continue their extended preseason with a road matchup against the Washington Commanders on August 11.

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