Cleveland Browns WR Antonio Callaway has a fan in Chad Johnson
By Dan Justik
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway emerged in the second half of 2018, and he has a believer in former NFL superstar Chad Johnson.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway had a lot of up and downs during his rookie season in 2018. Despite making a couple of big plays, the 22-year-old struggled to acclimate himself to the NFL during the first half of his rookie season.
But after Cleveland’s bye week on Week 11, Callaway seemed more comfortable on the field, and his performance started to show that. In the final six games of the season, Callaway caught 18 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns.
Callaway flashed his ability as a big-play threat at times during the season, but was not able to do so consistently. For a fourth-round pick, the wide receiver had a mildly successful season, catching 43 passes for 586 yards and five touchdowns
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The young wide receiver showed enough during his first season in the league that former NFL wide receiver, Chad Johnson, believes Callaway can be one of the next best receivers in the NFL. Johnson said on Twitter Tuesday that Callaway will be next in line to be one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL.
Callaway was thrust into a bigger role on the offense than many anticipated for his rookie season. But the Browns coaching staff saw his raw talent and speed and felt that he would be able to contribute right away.
With a deeper wide receiver corps for the 2019 season, Callaway will not have to play as big of a role as he did last season. But his performance may improve because he will not be seen as the only vertical threat on the offense.
However, Johnson saying Callaway will be one of the next best wide receivers in the NFL is an extreme stretch. He may have shown flashes last season, but Callaway will have to show a lot more in 2019 and the next couple of seasons before he can even be considered the best receiver in Cleveland.
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The Browns drafted Callaway despite his off-field issues because of his potential and ability on the field. They feel he has the capabilities of being a top receiver in the NFL, which is why they selected him in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Browns will be hoping Johnson is right and Callaway becomes one of the next best young wide receivers in the league.