We don't want to get too carried away with preseason hype, but take a look at the incredible work Austin Watkins Jr. has done in three games so far:
- vs. Jets: 2 receptions, 35 yards, 1 touchdown
- vs. Commanders: 6 receptions, 71 yards
- vs. Eagles: 7 receptions, 139 yards, 1 touchdown
Combining that production with his terrific size (6'2", 207 lbs) suddenly has the undrafted free agent making a real push for a spot on the Browns' roster.
The problem is, Cleveland has a very deep wide receiver room, and keeping Watkins would mean making some tough cuts.
There are some players I'm already considering a lock to be cut, even if they end up landing back on the practice squad. That includes Anthony Schwartz, Michael Woods, Mike Harley and Jalen Wayne. But even cutting those guys leaves a list of nine WRs (including Watkins), when the team is unlikely to carry more than six or maybe seven in a stretch.
Here are the Browns wideouts that would be cut if the team is going to make space for Watkins on the roster.
Browns Wide Receiver Cuts to Make Room for Austin Watkins Jr.
1. Marquise Goodwin
Marquise Goodwin has been getting some full-speed work in at practice, so his blood clot issues seem to be clearing up. Unless we try to sneak him onto the IR or he ends up being eligible for an NFI/Reserve designation, then there just won't be room for him on the roster.
He'd bring a nice veteran presence to the locker room, but this would also be his fourth team in the last four years, and there's a reason his last two teams moved on so quickly.
The 32-year-old hasn't had even 400 yards in a season since 2017, and with so much young talent in their receiver room the Browns would be much better served keeping a young guy with upside than using the roster spot for someone on the back end of his career.
2. Jakeem Grant
Jakeem Grant has been back to returning kicks at full speed in practice, so recovery from his torn Achilles tendon seems to be going well.
As a two-time All-Pro returner, Grant is one of the few players who can be a threat to take up a premium roster spot for purely special teams reasons. But that comes with a big caveat.
That would only be worth considering if Grant is back with the exact same explosiveness that made him so dangerous in his prime.
But this is now a 30-year-old returner coming off one of the most devastating injuries that a speedy, agile player can suffer. It would be a complete anomaly if he were able to return without having lost a step.
He may well still be a great returner, but he'd need to be better than just great to warrant a roster spot.
Demetric Felton is showing some real promise in the preseason, too, and he's a capable returner who would be on the roster as the RB3 anyway, making it even harder to justify a roster spot for a pure returner in the WR room.
3. Jaelon Darden
Jaelon Darden hasn’t really shown anything as an actual wide receiver so far in his first two NFL seasons, catching just 8 passes on 14 yards for 69 yards with no touchdowns. Like Grant, if he’s going to claim a roster spot it will have a lot to do with his abilities as a returner.
And Darden is certainly not the returner that a prime Jakeem Grant was.
At 5-foot-8 and less than 180 pounds, Darden doesn't have much of a shot at being much more than a gadget player if he does see the field for offensive snaps. As with returners, you really don't want to use a roster spot on a gadget guy unless he's one of the best in the league.
So with Goodwin, Grant and Darden out of the way, Watkins making the final roster would have our final list of wide receivers looking like this:
- Amari Cooper
- Donovan Peoples-Jones
- Elijah Moore
- Cedric Tillman
- David Bell
- Austin Watkins Jr.
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