Cleveland Browns: Storylines to watch in Preseason Week 1

1. How will the offensive rookies be used?

For the most part, Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski elected to leave the offense as was. There were far more offseason holes to fill on the defense, and after they got going in 2020 the Browns offense was one of the most efficient in the NFL. PFF ranked the Browns as a “Tier 1” offense ahead of the 2021 season, and it’s not hard to see why.

The offensive line bullied opposition, paving the way for an elite backfield pair of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and allowing Baker Mayfield time to find an excellent corps of receivers.

So where does the front office bother looking to improve? In the draft they chose depth at offensive line, running back, and wide receiver. Anthony Schwartz and Demetric Felton especially offer speed to their respective positions, and it will be interesting to see how they’re used in the Preseason testing grounds.

Schwartz, a two-sport athlete in track and field, is nicknamed “Flash” for a reason. He’ll likely be an asset on special teams before breaking into an already loaded receiver corps, but the Preseason is an excellent opportunity to see what he can do as a target.

Felton will likely get plenty of playing time as well. We saw last season how hard it is to replace the production of one of the two primary backs, but Felton brings a different skill set altogether. While he isn’t much of a bruiser, he adds extra speed and receiving ability out of the backfield. He may even push out wide as a receiver, where he played some snaps at UCLA.

He and Schwartz should both see plenty of snaps and could showcase how they can make an impact in year 1 despite the wealth of talent ahead of them on the depth chart.