Cleveland Browns: Give Antonio Callaway a chance
By Joel W. Cade
The Cleveland Browns rolled the dice on a wide receiver with some character issues. If the Browns can help reign in the off-field issues, this pick is a steal.
The Cleveland Browns are adding playmakers. In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Browns loaded up on guys who can make a difference on the field. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is the definition of a playmaker. Nick Chubb and Denzel Ward are significant playmakers as well.
But the most interesting pick was a wide receiver playmaker out of the university of Florida, Antonio Callaway. There are plenty of off field issues to address with Callaway.
But before tackling those issues, his tape is worth a look.
Florida vs Kentucky 2016
From the tape a few things are evident. First, Callaway is fast. He can flat out run. He is also very quick. The quickness in space is his greatest asset as Florida used him as their primary weapon. Their offense tried to get Callaway the ball in space then allow his natural ability to take over. He gets a lot of YAC and when he runs forward, is a severe threat in the kick return game. He will make the team for his special teams ability alone. His value lies in his explosiveness and ability to create explosive plays.
Second, Callaway has a lot of work to do. He is the quintessential player who has relied on his speed and is underdeveloped at the position. His routes look good at times. At other times, not so much. It seems he has never really committed to learning the game or the position. He has ball security issues. He will drop passes (assuming good quarterback play).
Callaway is the perfect athlete for what John Dorsey seems to be building in Cleveland. The coaching staff needs to get him focused on football and learning the game. Potential over production guy, even though there was a lot of production. That is a lot of production when he was on the field.
The old cliché is that a player’s best ability is their availability. Antonio Callaway has been unavailable during his college career due to a pattern of inexcusable behavior. Herein lies the true risk of the pick.
But this is the NFL, if a player can make plays, there will be place for him to play (unless he brings unnecessary media drama ala Colin Kaepernick or Johnny Manziel). Antonio Callaway has the potential to make plays. Therefore someone was going to give him a shot. The Browns are lucky that team is them.