Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Drops further on depth chart
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Schwartz (concussion) dropped further down the depth chart following Cleveland's acquisitions of Elijah Moore and Marquise Goodwin.
The Browns went into the offseason with the goal of giving Deshaun Watson more weapons on offense, and the additions of Moore and Goodwin are a start. Cleveland can trot out Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Moore and Goodwin when it wants to run four-wide sets. It's hard to see the team giving Schwartz, who has had the offseason to recover from a concussion he sustained last December, more chances after the 2021 third-round selection has disappointed over his first two seasons. Along with Schwartz, one can add Demetric Felton and Michael Woods onto the pile of wideouts that shouldn't get much work if they manage to stick with the team.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Heads to IR
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Cleveland placed Schwartz (concussion) on injured reserve Wednesday.
Schwartz suffered a concussion during the Week 13 win over Houston and will now miss at least four games after landing on IR. In a corresponding move, Cleveland claimed Jaelon Darden off waivers from Tampa Bay to add depth at receiver and in the return game.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Minimal role in win
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Schwartz caught his lone target for 12 yards, had one carry for six yards and lost a fumble in Sunday's 27-14 win over Houston.
Schwartz took a step back after he scored on a 31-yard touchdown run the previous week. On Cleveland's second series, his fumble led to Houston taking a first-quarter lead. The Browns were able to overcome the miscue, but it was another reminder of the ball security issues that have plagued Schwartz. He finished with five snaps on a day when the team lost slot receiver David Bell (hand). Demetric Felton (36 snaps) was the primary beneficiary of Bell's injury.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Makes first catch since Week 1
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Schwartz caught his lone target for three yards in Sunday's 39-17 loss to the Dolphins in Week 10.
Schwartz hauled in his first pass since Week 1 while playing 12 snaps, his most since Week 6. He's been marginalized due to a series of mistakes and drops, sitting fifth on the wide receiver depth chart. For a time in 2021, Schwartz held a return role on kickoffs, but that spot now belongs to rookie Jerome Ford.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Healthy scratch Week 7
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Schwartz (coach's decision) is inactive Week 7 against Baltimore.
Schwartz will be a healthy scratch after suiting up each of the past three weeks, though considering he hasn't recorded a catch since Week 1, his absence shouldn't cause any issues for the offense. Rookie Michael Woods was active for the first time last week and even caught one of his two targets, so it's possible he has surpassed Schwartz on the depth chart.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Gets three garbage-time targets
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Schwartz did not catch any of his three targets in Sunday's 38-15 loss to New England in Week 6.
Schwartz has been invisible all season, but he got some late-game run when the Browns were down by three scores. It wasn't a very impressive showing for the second-year wideout, who dropped passes on consecutive plays on Cleveland's final drive. A case of the drops is largely why Schwartz has seen limited playing time this season.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Invisible in loss
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Schwartz played 11 snaps and was not targeted in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Falcons.
Schwartz's diminished role continued in Week 4, the third consecutive week in which he saw 12 snaps or fewer without getting a target. One possible path to relevancy is in the return game after Jerome Ford, who had handled kick returns the last three games, suffered an ankle injury. Demetric Felton replaced Ford as the kickoff returner Sunday, but that was Schwartz's role for a long stretch in 2021.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Goes untargeted in loss
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Schwartz was not targeted over 12 snaps in Sunday's 31-30 loss to the Jets in Week 2.
Schwartz's playing time slipped from 23 snaps Week 1, one more than rookie David Bell, to 12 in Week 2, eight fewer than Bell. The Browns have a quick turnaround for Week 3's matchup with the Steelers on Thursday. Thus far, only tight ends Jesse James (wrist, out) and Harrison Bryant (thumb/thigh) are banged up, so it might be more of the same for Schwartz this week.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: One catch in win
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Schwartz caught one of two targets for 19 yards and ran twice for 20 yards in Sunday's 26-24 win over the Panthers.
Schwartz had a difficult preseason during which he had an injury and a case of the drops, wiping out any chance of winning the No. 2 job. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stressed the wideout has the support of coaches and teammates however, and that appeared to be the case in Week 1. He played 23 snaps, well below the 66 each for top receivers Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, but Schwartz had a key 19-yard grab on third-and-four on a fourth-quarter drive that produced points. He also had a pair of end-arounds, providing extra value in an offense that's expected to be ground-based with Jacoby Brissett under center.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Has support of coach
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Schwartz has had a shaky preseason, but Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski affirmed the team's belief in the wide receiver, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports. "Anthony had a tough stretch - I think everybody understands that - but we support our players," Stefanski said. "We support our players when they are going through a tough stretch."
Schwartz had a number of drops this preseason and struggled to find consistency during training camp. Entering Week 1 against Carolina, Schwartz sits fourth on the depth chart and is not expected to play a significant role in the offense, which should feature a heavy dose of the running game while Deshaun Watson is suspended.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Three targets in preseason opener
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Schwartz failed to catch any of his three targets in Friday's 24-13 preseason win over the Jaguars.
On the bright side, Schwartz suited up for the preseason opener despite recently battling a knee injury and was targeted three times by starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. Unfortunately, they were unable to connect on any of those three passes, which included two drops. Schwartz looks like a safe bet to make Cleveland's roster, but he'll likely continue to jostle with Donovan Peoples-Jones and David Bell for playing time alongside clear No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper. Schwartz will look to make a larger impact against the Eagles in the Browns' next preseason game a week from Sunday.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Day-to-day
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Coach Kevin Stefanski noted Friday that Schwartz is "day-to-day" with a knee strain, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Schwartz left Thursday's practice with a knee issue, but apparently it's nothing major, with Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram indicating that the wideout is in line to be available come Week 1. Once Schwartz is able to return to practice, he'll look to cement his role in a Cleveland wide receiver corps that's led by Amari Cooper and also includes Donovan Peoples-Jones and rookie David Bell, who is currently on the active/PUP list with a foot injury.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Among top three wideouts sans Bell
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Schwartz opened training camp as one of the Browns' top three receivers after rookie David Bell (foot) was placed on the active/PUP list, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
A healthy Bell is the favorite to open the season as the starting slot receiver, but he'll be missing reps early in camp, which opens up an opportunity for Schwartz. The Browns don't anticipate adding another wideout, which suggests that Bell's injury isn't considered serious.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Browns standing pat at WR
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Schwartz remains in the mix for the No. 2 wide receiver spot, and the Browns are not compelled to add a second proven veteran wideout at this time, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The organization acquired Amari Cooper as the No. 1 receiver during the offseason and don't feel the need to add a veteran No. 2 for the sake of it. High-profile receivers like T.Y. Hilton and Will Fuller are available, but the Browns feel that either Schwartz or Donovan Peoples-Jones can fill that role. They also have David Njoku and Harrison Bryant at tight end as capable pass catchers.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Season-high snap count in finale
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Schwartz caught one of three targets for 13 yards and had one carry for three yards in Week 18's 21-16 win over the Bengals.
Schwartz had a drop early in the contest, but that didn't deter the coaches from giving him a season-high 36 snaps. The 2021 third-round draft pick out of Auburn finished with 10 catches on 23 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown on the season, with most of that production coming in Week 1. He also carried the ball six times for 39 yards. Schwartz took hold as the primary kickoff returner during the season and moved as high as third on the wideout depth chart after Cleveland released Odell Beckham, but a mid-season concussion quelled his momentum. The Browns ranked 27th in the NFL with 195.3 passing yards per game, so there could be further turnover in the wide receiver group. Schwartz's affordable contract and versatility will keep him rostered in 2022, but it's way too soon to tell if he gains a greater role.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Remains fourth wideout
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Schwartz did not catch either of his two targets in Monday's 26-14 loss to the Steelers.
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski suggested a greater role for Schwartz over the final two games, but the rookie wideout was fourth among his position group with 24 snaps. That was 17 fewer than Rashard Higgins, who was also targeted five times. Now that the Browns are eliminated from the postseason, Schwartz could gain more playing time at Higgins' expense in Week 18 against the Bengals. Higgins is due to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022 while Schwartz is locked up through 2024.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Scores first NFL touchdown
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Schwartz caught his lone target for a five-yard touchdown and ran twice for an additional 24 yards in Week 16's 24-22 loss to Green Bay on Saturday.
Schwartz was responsible for Cleveland's final score when he hauled in a dart from quarterback Baker Mayfield. It was his first red-zone target of the season and first touchdown in the NFL. The rookie was back in the lineup for a second consecutive game following a three-game absence due to a concussion, but he did not take on the role as kick returner, a spot he held for seven weeks prior to his concussion. Rashard Higgins has passed him on the depth chart at wideout, but there is a future for Schwartz in Cleveland.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Suits up Monday
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Schwartz (concussion) is listed as active for Monday's game against the Raiders, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.
With fellow wideout Jarvis Landry and tight end Austin Hooper currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Schwartz has a chance to pick up some targets in his first game action since Week 10. However, with the likes of Donovan Peoples-Jones, Rashard Higgins and David Njoku also in the mix to catch passes from fill-in QB Nick Mullens, the speedy Schwartz -- who has put together an 8-117-0 stat line in 10 games to date -- profiles as a speculative Week 15 fantasy lineup option.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Ruled out Saturday
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Schwartz (concussion) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Raiders, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Schwartz was unable to clear the league's concussion protocols ahead of Week 15, and he'll be forced to miss a fourth consecutive game. Rashard Higgins and Ja'Marcus Bradley will likely see increased playing time Saturday.
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Browns' Anthony Schwartz: Won't play Sunday
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Schwartz (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Schwartz, who suffered his concussion back in Week 10, thus is slated to miss his third straight game, with his next chance to suit up being the Browns' Week 15 tilt against the Raiders on Dec. 18. In his continued absence, look for Jarvis Landry and Donovan Peoples-Jones to head the team's wideout corps this weekend, with Ja'Marcus Bradley and possibly Rashard Higgins also factoring in.
