If the Cleveland Browns call, Sammy Watkins will be happy to answer.
The Browns signed Watkins’ cousin Austin before training camp, giving the team more depth in the wide fall with some bumpy guys. Sammy Watkins, 30, told Browns insider Brad Stainbrook on theOBR.com that he plans to compete this season and would consider Cleveland.
“Contacted NFL veteran WR Sammy Watkins following news that Browns have signed his cousin Austin,” Stainbrook tweeted. “Watkins plans to play this year, and when asked if he would join his cousin in Cleveland, he replied ‘tell them to pick me up’.’
Watkins would be an attractive option for the Browns, especially given the uncertain status of Marquise Goodwin. The Browns signed Goodwin this season to add a speed veteran to their receptive corps. However, he has blood clots in his legs and lungs and his condition is uncertain.
Sammy Watkins spent nine seasons in the NFL, playing for five different teams. Last season, he split his time between the Green Bay Packers and the Baltimore Ravens, playing 12 games with five starts. He had 16 catches from 325 yards. Watkins – the 4th overall pick in the 2014 draft – has 5,384 yards and 34 touchdowns in his career.
Browns chose not to sign DeAndre Hopkins
The Browns have teamed up with another veteran this season as DeAndre Hopkins, one of the most notable free agents after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.
Hopkins has a natural connection to the Browns through his relationship with winger Deshaun Watson, the two of whom previously combined in Houston. Watson even gave a public address at Hopkins to potentially join him in Cleveland.
“I’ll just say this, D-Hop, DeAndre Hopkins wants to be in a place where we have a chance to win,” Watson said in May. “We ticked all of those boxes and I think in order for us to know and make sure that we tick all those boxes on the national stage, we have to go out there and prove it and I think D-Hop would love to be a part of that.”
Ultimately, Hopkins signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. He could be worth up to $32 million with incentives. That’s a price the Browns aren’t willing to pay for the veteran passer, and the team feels confident in its receiving team.
Anthony Schwartz was also injured at the start of the camp
The Browns have lost Goodwin as well as former third-round pick Anthony Schwartz, who was shortlisted for non-football injuries upon arrival at training camp.
Schwartz is under a lot of stress this season. He has yet to reach the level the Browns expected when they knock him out of Auburn in 2021 as a third-round pick. Schwartz had just 14 catches in two seasons at 186 yards.
The Browns have their best wide receivers in Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Elijah Moore. There will be deeper reshuffles in the depth chart, with David Bell, rookies Cedric Tillman and Schwartz and others battling for representation.
