Wide receiver Austin Watkins turned down a chance to return to the Cleveland Browns and instead will be signing a reserve/future contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Browns had offered Watkins a deal but he took time to weigh other offers, per Brad Stainbrook of theOBR.com. The 25-year-old felt like the Eagles were a better fit for his talents and will get a fresh start there.
Watkins became a fan favorite in the preseason, leading the Browns in receiving yards during the four exhibition matchups. He was the only Cleveland player with double-digit receptions, notching 16 for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Eagles were familiar with Watkins. His best game of the preseason came against Philadelphia. Watkins notched seven catches for 139 yards.
Watkins was cut at the end of the preseason but added back to the practice squad. He did not appear in a game with the Browns and didn’t feel like he got a fair shake, per Noah Weiskopf of theOBR.com.
“While sources say Watkins does get along with the Browns front office, there’s also a feeling that he wasn’t given a fair shot this season to showcase his abilities, especially after having the preseason that he did,” Weiskopf wrote.
The Browns did announce the signing of nine players to reserve/futures contracts on Monday, January 15. That included receiver Jaelon Darden, cornerback Vincent Gray, running back John Kelly Jr., tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden, offensive tackle Justin Murray, defensive end Lonnie Phelps, linebacker Charlie Thomas III, defensive end Isaiah Thomas and defensive tackle Chris Williams.
Browns Need to Find Support for Amari Cooper
The Browns will be in search of quality depth to help support Amari Cooper next season. The 29-year-old was the catalyst for the Browns’ passing game, which utilized five different quarterbacks this season. Despite the lack of stability at quarterback, Cooper finished with a career-high 1,250 yards and 5 touchdowns on 72 catches.
Elijah Moore was the Browns’ second-leading wide receiver with 640 yards on 59 grabs. He also had a pair of touchdowns. But outside of those two, the Browns had very limited contributions from the rest of the receiving depth chart. Rookie Cedric Tillman was next up with 21 catches for 224 yards.
With Deshaun Watson expected to return at full strength next season, the Browns want to add more weapons to make their aerial game more dangerous.
“I think that’s definitely [GM Andrew Berry’s] desire to add as many good players as you can,” Stefanski said on January 14 during his season-ending press conference. “But I feel really good about the guys on our roster. Not to go through every guy, but really pleased with what these guys were able to accomplish.”
Browns Need to Work on Extension for Amari Cooper
Cooper has proved that he can still be an elite No. 1 receiver but is entering the final year of his contract. Cooper’s cap hit for next season is set at $23.7 million, which initially made him a potential cut candidate.
However, the Browns need him on the roster moving forward, and prioritizing an extension could help lower that number. Spotrac’s calculated market value for Cooper is 3 years and $70 million, earning him around $23 million per season.
The Browns will still have Moore under contract for another season. His cap hit is a modest $1.8 million. The hope is that young guns David Bell and Tillman will continue to progress as well, adding to the team’s depth.
Notable names that the Browns could pursue in free agency to pair with Cooper include Michael Pittman Jr., Tee Higgins and Calvin Ridley.
