Browns RT Mitchell Schwartz vaults to top of Pro Football Focus rankings
Neutralizing Broncos pass rusher Von Miller helped Mitchell Schwartz vault to the top of Pro Football Focus' right tackle ratings. Will a contract extension in Cleveland follow?
Schwartz earned a +1.9 grade for holding Miller to his worst pass rush grade of the season in Sunday's overtime loss to Denver, and now sits atop PFF's rankings for right tackles through six weeks. Schwartz often gets the short end of the stick in terms of praise for the Browns' offensive line, but he'll take the positive review, even if he believes grading offensive linemen is a tough task for outside evaluators.
"It’s obviously nice. With sites like that it’s hard to put a quantifiable grade on things like that," Schwartz said via the team's official site. "It’s hard to figure out what we’re supposed to do on every play, but obviously, I’ll take the positive rating so it’s kind of cool.”
The recognition couldn't come at a better time for Schwartz, who is playing in the final year of his contract. He claims he hasn't given his status beyond this year much thought, however.
“You just play as well as you can," Schwartz said. "That stuff is kind of out of my control. That’s not something I really focus on. I just have so much else to worry about week-in and week-out going against such good players. If you do your part on the field, really the rest will take care of itself.”
Browns coach Mike Pettine sounded non-committal on Schwartz's future in Cleveland as well.
"[Schwartz] is a high producer for us, but behind the scenes, we know whose contracts are up, and that’s not really my place to talk about that, especially in season," Pettine said, per the Akron Beacon Journal.