Browns Place WR Anthony Schwartz on IR, Claim WR Jaelon Darden from Waivers
In this story:
The Cleveland Browns placed second-year wide receiver Anthony Schwartz on injured reserve. To fill his roster spot and give them another receiver, they put in a waiver claim on Jaelan Darden, a second-year wide receiver who was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Schwartz was put into concussion protocol as a result of a hit suffered against the Houston Texans. Putting him on injured reserve for a concussion is a concern given the nature of the injury. It's the second time Schwartz has missed an extended period of time due to a head injury.
The best case scenario is that the Browns are simply being overly cautious for the sake of Schwartz and the injury won't last that long. Combined with that, it's a roster dodge that enables them to bring in receiver help immediately.
Darden joins a receiver group that was low on options Sunday against the Texans. Not only did Schwartz get hurt, but wide receiver David Bell left that game with a thumb injury. The Browns have called his status day to day. On Sunday, the Browns were left with Demetric Felton taking receiver snaps in the game.
The Browns do also have rookie Michael Woods II.
Darden was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of North Texas, a round after the Browns selected Schwartz. He is an undersized speedster that was also used on kick and punt returns. Given the success of Donovan Peoples-Jones in the last two games, Darden is unlikely to get a shot there. It's possible he could be utilized alongside Jerome Ford on kick return.
The Browns love speed and Darden is an opportunity to get a look at some with little to no downside. The reason Darden was waived, seemingly, is because he's been unable to crack the Bucs lineup. The Bucs have a loaded set of receivers featuring Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones. They also have Scotty Miller who has terrific speed as a fourth option.
As a result, Darden has appeared in 21 games over the past two years. He has eight receptions for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
