Former Browns WR Tells Team to ‘Move On’ With Tweet

getty Images Kevin Stefanski and the Browns cut Anthony Schwartz ahead of the 2023 season.

Anthony Schwartz isn’t ready to return to the Cleveland Browns anytime soon.

Schwartz, a former third-round pick of the Browns, was used as the butt of a joke in a tweet suggesting that he was returning to Cleveland on a one-year deal. Schwartz had a light-hearted response.

“It’s time to move on,” Schwartz wrote, along with a GIF indicating that the guns should be put down.

Schwartz signed a futures contract with the Miami Dolphins in January. He had worked out for the Dolphins during their bye week last season, and the team decided to sign him in November. He joined the Dolphins’ practice squad but was never called up to the active roster.

The Browns released Schwartz in August. He had a rough run in Cleveland after being selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, but his speed makes him an interesting prospect. At his pro day back in 2021, he ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash and could one day be a solid weapon in the Dolphins’ explosive offense.

Schwartz finished his Browns career with just 14 catches in two seasons for 186 yards. He never caught on in Cleveland and was the target of criticism. Schwartz was even booed during a home preseason game with drops piling up.

Browns Have Reshaped Wide Receiver Depth

The Browns have made great strides in the last few years in building their depth at wide receiver. Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Jerry Jeudy now headline the unit. The team also has some youth to build on in former third-round picks Cedric Tillman and David Bell.

The Browns traded for Jeudy this offseason and quickly inked him to a three-year extension. It’s a risky move for a wide receiver who has never eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark but the Browns are confident.

“When we acquired Jerry via trade this spring, it was with the vision that he would become a core member of our offense in 2024 and beyond,” general manager Andrew Berry said in a release on March 19. “He is a scheme-versatile receiver with high-level ability to separate against man coverage and a diverse number of ways to produce on the perimeter or in the slot.

“At 24-years-old and just entering his prime, we are pleased to have Jerry as a member of the Browns for the next several seasons and believe the best is yet to come.”

Browns WR Amari Cooper Coming off Pro Bowl Year

The Browns had little consistency on offense last season outside of Cooper. The reliable 29-year-old pass-catcher churned out another Pro Bowl season despite catching passes from four different quarterbacks.

He carried the Browns’ aerial attack. Cooper racked up 1,250 yards on 72 catches and was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.

Cooper’s standout performance came on Christmas Eve against the Houston Texans. He caught 11 passes for 265 yards — a franchise single-game record.

“Records are meant to be broken. At the end of the day, it’s just numbers. I don’t take it for granted, but it’s the past,” Cooper said on January 10.

Cooper should get a boost with Deshaun Watson back next season. Watson played in just six games last season due to two separate shoulder injuries, the second of which ended his season.