On Thursday, the Cleveland Browns were spooked when second-year wide receiver Anthony Schwartz suffered a knee injury during a workout and left the field for the rest of the day.
Although it didn’t look very serious, there were concerns that it would be worse than it looked, as is always the fear when anything goes wrong with an athlete’s knee.
But it looks like Schwartz and the Browns dodged a bullet.
On Friday, head coach Kevin Stefanski told the press that Schwartz merely has a knee strain and that he’ll be day-to-day from here on out.
Even better, the wideout is expected to be ready when the season starts.
#Browns HC Kevin Stefanski with good news on WR Anthony Schwartz: not severe & he’s day-to-day with knee strain. Expected to be ready for start of season
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) July 29, 2022
Some were a bit more concerned than usual since Schwartz’s injury was of the non-contact variety, and such an injury could be a very bad sign.
But it looks like he simply needs some rest and recovery before he is fully ready for Week 1.
Schwartz Is One Of A Few Promising Young Wideouts On The Roster
New acquisition Amari Cooper, who has been chosen to the Pro Bowl four times in his seven NFL seasons, is going to be a game-changer for the Browns.
But behind him, it is not clear who will pick up the slack, especially for the departed Jarvis Landry.
Many feel Donovan Peoples-Jones, who had 597 yards and three touchdowns on 17.6 yards per reception in 2021, will become the team’s WR2.
But beyond that, it’s all up for grabs.
Schwartz is a nice prospect because he isn’t just fast, he has world-class speed.
He was a track athlete in high school who specialized in sprinting, and he took part in several track competitions both domestically and abroad.
He even set a new record for track athletes under 18 years of age by recording a time of 10.15 seconds in the 100-meter dash.
Whenever Deshaun Watson is allowed to play, Schwartz should benefit, as the Browns’ new QB is more reliable when it comes to throwing the long ball than his predecessor Baker Mayfield was.
Deshaun Watson tosses a pass to Anthony Schwartz on Wednesday during the first practice of #Browns camp. At the other end of fieldhouse, Denzel Ward (21) walks through his foot injury before the defense runs a play. Ward is on P.U.P. and can’t practice. pic.twitter.com/6LBLZerjzY
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) July 27, 2022
Other wideouts who are looking to carve out a spot and role for themselves during camp are veteran Jakeem Grant and rookies Michael Woods II and David Bell.
Bell, unfortunately, suffered a foot injury several weeks ago, and as a result, he has been placed on the physically unable to perform list.
The Browns’ Wideout Depth Will Be Tested A Bit
Although Bell, like Schwartz, is expected back before long, the Browns won’t have a ton of depth at wide receiver for a minute.
Others may have to take on a greater workload, and there is always the chance it could lead to more injuries, at least in theory.
But Stefanski doesn’t feel his team needs to add another wideout to make sure he has enough live bodies for the rest of training camp.
“I would say too early for that,” he said.
If anything, the injuries to Schwartz and Bell will open up an opportunity for rookies Isaiah Weston, Mike Harley Jr. and Travell Harris to get some snaps and prove they can play.
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