Browns: The case for cutting Anthony Schwartz

The Cleveland Browns have some tough roster decisions between now and Tuesday. Should the Browns consider cutting Anthony Schwartz?

Now that the preseason games are wrapped up, the Cleveland Browns front office has the unenviable task of deciding the fates of dozens of young players. The Browns, like all NFL teams, must whittle their rosters from 80 players down to 53 by 4 pm on Tuesday.

Some NFL-caliber players will see their time in Cleveland come to an end just from being on the wrong side of a numbers game. Other players will be kept around just because of where they were drafted, or the money that is owed to them. That brings us to second-year wide receiver, Anthony Schwartz.

When asked by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, whether Schwartz was in danger of being cut, head coach Kevin Stefanski responded, “No. Respectfully, we are going to make sure that we deal with things that are important, which are our players and how they respond to these things”. The question was more than legitimate after the preseason that Schwartz has turned in.

Schwartz’ preseason play can only be described as nightmare fuel. Schwartz was targeted 12 times over the three-game span, and racked up three receptions for 28 yards, with six drops. Oh, and one additional unaccounted-for target was intercepted because Schwartz allowed himself bumped off of his route.

If these stats were tied to a day-three pick, it would not even be a discussion, the player would be cut. So why isn’t it so cut and dry when it comes to Schwartz?

Well, for starters, he was the 91st overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, so they must weigh the draft capital they invested in him. Also, by releasing Schwartz, general manager, Andrew Berry, would, in essence, be admitting the team made a mistake.

Then there is the speed factor, and at end of the day, that is Schwartz’ one saving grace. It all comes down to a number, 4.27. That number is going to get Schwartz’ more opportunities, fairly or unfairly, than it would most players. That 4.27 second forty-yard dash time is what caused the Browns to take Schwartz as highly as they did, and it’s also what is keeping him from the scrap heap.

But are the Browns cutting off their nose to spite their face? By being bound by Schwartz taking up space on their roster and in their wide receiver room, they’re going to have to release a player that could help them in the immediate future. Receivers like Mike Harley, Jr. and Javon Wims, who are both clearly more capable pass catchers right now, will most likely be subjected to waivers in order to let Anthony Schwartz develop.

There’s the keyword: develop. The Browns knew that Schwartz would need time to develop when they used a third-round pick on him. But how much time are they going to give him before they simply cut their losses?

Schwartz has had the entirety of his rookie season, plus an entire offseason, to show some progress and there has been little to no signs of improvement. Surely there must be a cut-off point to the Schwartz experiment.

The solution seems simple. Cut Schwartz and expose him to waivers. If another team picks him up, then you just move forward with the receivers that you chose to keep and implement them into your offense.  And if Schwartz is successful at his next stop, then you obviously failed in his development and you need to re-evaluate your processes.

However, if Schwartz does clear waivers, then bring him back to the practice squad and allow him to develop while not also being counted on to produce at the same time. The practice squad is the perfect environment for a raw talent like Schwartz to hone his skills. That would surely be a blow to Schwartz, but the progression is not always linear and sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward.

Contrary to popular belief, the definition of insanity is not doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, but the point stands. Berry and the Browns need to take their hubris out of the equation and evaluate the player and where he stands on their roster. Either Schwartz can turn the corner and become a viable receiver and help this team right now, or he cannot.