Callaway was the Browns fourth-round selection in the 2018 draft, which was the first under John Dorsey.
Callaway had contributed little in the 2019 season after a suspension that cost him the first four games of the season and upon his insertion into the lineup after the conclusion of the suspension, bounced a sure touchdown against the 49ers off his hands and into a San Francisco defender for a long return that shortly thereafter turned what would have been a 14-10 San Francisco lead into a 21-3 deficit for the Browns.
Callaway would finish his 2019 Browns season with eight catches for eighty-nine yards without a touchdown, but as recently as two weeks ago it appeared that he was on the verge on turning his season around with five catches for fifty-six yards, including a forty-one yard catch that set up a Browns score in their 24-19 loss in Denver.
That was the final glimmer of hope for the former Florida Gator though, as he was suspended for the win over Buffalo last Sunday for being late to the game and when he was late to a Tuesday practice with rumors beginning to circulate that Callaway was facing a ten-game suspension for failing a drug test, the decision was made to cut ties.
The addition of Drew Forbes, who was impressing many in the pre-season after being selected in the sixth round, to the offensive line will help with depth and perhaps Forbes could even push for playing time.
Forbes was a tackle at Division I-AA Southeast Missouri State, but the Browns were using him at guard as well in training camp and he could earn time at either spot.
The release of Antonio Callaway is the right thing to do and the time is right as the Browns have given Callaway several chances and Callaway hasn't seemed to have learned anything from his mistakes that trace all the way back to his college days.
I'm on board with that decision, but it continues to chip away at the 2018 draft that once looked to possibly rank with the best in Browns history.
Between the release of Callaway (4th) and the recent trades of Austin Corbett to the Rams (2nd) and Genard Avery to Philadelphia (5th), John Dorsey is now down to his first-rounders Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward, both of whom performed better as rookies than they have in 2019, Nick Chubb who has been tremendous (2nd) and rotational defensive lineman Chad Thomas (3rd), who has occasionally shown a reason to hope for more, but might wind up better remembered for his hip-hop career.
I'll be back later with thoughts on the Browns battle with the Steelers!
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