If speed kills, Browns wide receivers would be convicted of no crimes
By Randy Gurzi
It seems to be the same story but just a different day. Once again, a study has shown what most of us already know — the Cleveland Browns wide receivers aren’t exactly burners.
Sure, they have Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones who can put up big numbers, but according to a recent study, they’re in the lower part of the league when it comes to straight-line speed at wide receiver.
Of course, general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski know this. That’s why they were willing to roll the dice on Anthony Schwartz out of Auburn in 2021. Schwartz has Olympic speed but wasn’t anywhere near a finished product. Even so, the Browns took him at No. 91 overall.
So far, the move hasn’t paid off. In two seasons, Schwartz has just 14 receptions for 186 yards as a receiver and another 96 as a runner — with two total touchdowns. Teams are aware when he’s on the field that he can run past them, but he doesn’t strike fear into those opponents since he’s been plagued by drops.
There were calls throughout the 2022 season for Cleveland to add Will Fuller, who used to play alongside Deshaun Watson in Houston. Fuller has had more than his share of injuries but the desperation for a deep threat has led to fans asking for any hope.
Browns might not need to be desperate for speed
While those calls are understandable, the fact remains that several of the teams that were lower than Cleveland on this list still found plenty of success. Right behind them is the Cincinnati Bengals, who nearly made their second Super Bowl in a row this year.
There are also the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers behind them, and each was in the playoffs for the NFC. The Los Angeles Rams are near the end as well, and they just won it all following the 2021 campaign.
Even looking one spot in front of them, you can see the Buffalo Bills, who are another contending team in the AFC.
So yes, it would be nice to get a little more explosion on offense, but it’s also not a guaranteed path to success. Just ask teams at the front such as the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Houston Texans.
