Getty New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers shaking hands with the Owner of the Cleveland Browns ahead of a preseason game.
It won’t be easy to replace the now-retired Corey Davis, but the New York Jets will have to try ahead of the 2023 season.
One way they can try to do that is by adding a “field stretcher” and Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report predicted exactly that for a column posted on Saturday, September 2.
“There aren’t a lot of legitimate field stretchers on the market, but Anthony Schwartz has that potential. The former Auburn Tiger ran a 4.25-second 40-yard dash at his pro day before the Browns used a third-round pick on him in 2021.
Injuries, poor route-running and inconsistent hands led to a lot of frustration in Cleveland, and he didn’t make the Browns’ 53-man roster this year. But a fresh start, new coaching staff and the opportunity to work with Aaron Rodgers might help Schwartz get back on track.”
Ballentine picked the “best free agent option remaining” for every team in the league and pegged Schwartz as an option for Gang Green.
Interesting Jets Dart Throw Ahead of 2023
Any free agent that is available on the open market is available for a reason.
Schwartz just turned 23 years of age on Tuesday, September 5. He originally entered the league as the No. 91 overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
In three years at Auburn, he put up some intriguing numbers. He caught 117 receptions for 1,433 receiving yards and scored 13 total touchdowns. Schwartz had an affinity for making big plays averaging 12.2 yards per reception and 11 yards per scrimmage touch.
It didn’t translate to the NFL level in his first stop with the Cleveland Browns. Across two seasons, Schwartz only caught 14 balls for 186 receiving yards and scored 2 total touchdowns.
Just because it didn’t work in one place, doesn’t mean it will never work.
It Feels Like Another Jets Move Is Coming at WR
The Jets surprised everyone by keeping seven wide receivers on the initial 53-man roster.
Folks were debating throughout camp if maybe they’d keep six. There always seemed to be five roster locks in no particular order at wideout: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Corey Davis, and Randall Cobb.
Davis surprisingly retired which opened up an additional spot.
Gang Green ended up keeping a pair of undrafted wide receivers from April’s class, Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee. Then perhaps the true surprise of the roster was seeing Irvin Charles make the cut.
These are all great stories, but will the Jets truly enter a season with so much inexperience at the bottom of the roster?
This feels like it is strangely set up and that another move has to be coming down the pike. If that is true, the team is running out of time to have that player acquired in time to get ready for the season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Or perhaps the Jets just have a strong conviction inside the building about these young guys and they don’t care what people think about it on the outside. Regardless the Jets are going with a youth movement, and we’ll see if it pays off in 2023.