3 Cleveland Browns players who don’t deserve another season in 2023

These three players have shown enough and it’s time for the Cleveland Browns to move on and allow someone else to take their spot on the roster

Oftentimes, players need time in the NFL to develop. That’s especially true of those who are drafted in the mid-to-late rounds. The Cleveland Browns have added some interesting names as of late in those rounds and while some have worked out, there are still more trying to turn the corner.

Entering 2023, there are a few such prospects that should be out of time. At this point, they’re basically progress stoppers for someone else and don’t need to be in the plans.

3 Cleveland Browns players who don’t deserve another season in 2023

3. Tommy Togiai, Defensive Tackle

When Tommy Togiai was selected at No. 132 overall, there was a lot of excitement among the fan base. This was mainly due to Togiai being a product of Ohio State, but there was still plenty to like about him coming into the NFL.

Unfortunately, his skillset hasn’t really translated to the NFL. As a rookie, he managed to play in just six games and while he had 16 tackles, he didn’t make too many impact plays. In 2022, he was on the field much more, playing in 12 games.

However, he had even fewer tackles with just 13 on the year. He was a major issue in run defense and his PFF grade went from 39.8 as a rookie to just 37.3.

Cleveland needs to re-tool the entire defensive tackle position and Togiai is one that should be replaced.

2. Demetric Felton, RB/WR

Donovan Peoples-Jones was a success story for the Cleveland Browns in Round 6 of the NFL Draft. The Michigan product was added in 2020 and while he had just 14 receptions, he averaged more than 21 yards per catch.

He’s developed much more since then but his potential was evident from the first year he was in Berea. For that reason, Demetric Felton had a bit of a spotlight on him.

Cleveland’s sixth-round selection in 2021 was expected to be another steal as the UCLA product offered multiple ways to manufacture offense. He was not just a running back but also played wide receiver for the Bruins, and was a return man.

During his rookie campaign, Felton had 18 receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He added 227 yards on punt returns and 172 on kickoffs. Those numbers were enough to raise expectations for his sophomore campaign.

However, Felton went in the wrong direction in year two. He finished with negative-four yards rushing, eight as a receiver, and a combined 53 as a returner. His main issue was fielding the ball cleanly, which ended up being his undoing.

After fumbling the ball four times as a rookie, he had one more fumble but had a few other scares on punt returns. This led to him being on the sideline for the remainder of the season. Looking ahead to 2023, they would be best served to go after another returner and emergency running back/slot receiver.

1. Anthony Schwartz, Wide Receiver

Another 2021 draft pick, Anthony Schwartz joined Cleveland in Round 3 out of Auburn. While he had a lot to learn about playing the position, he brought in world-class speed which is something the offense needed desperately.

He had a great debut with 64 yards receiving against the Kansas City Chiefs but has been a problem ever since. Schwartz has scored a couple of touchdowns, including a 31-yarder on a receiver reverse this past season, but he’s known more for dropping passes or not running the correct routes.

The best example of this was in Week 2 of his rookie season when he seemed to stop on a route, which led to an interception. Baker Mayfield threw it to where he expected Schwartz to be and the pass was picked off. Mayfield then injured his shoulder when tackling the defender and thus began the start of the end.

Schwartz continued to struggle from this point on and had a disatrout training camp and preseason where he dropped just about every pass that came his way.

Heading into year three, the Browns need to decide if Schwartz can be fixed, or if it’s even worth it to try. They need depth at wide receiver and while it’s fine to have a project player, there needs to be some progress from year to year and we haven’t seen that yet.

3 contracts holding the Cleveland Browns back right now

As the Cleveland Browns look to improve their roster in 2023, they could find themselves held back by these three contracts