The Cleveland Browns are finding themselves in a position to make some extremely tough decisions in their wide receiver room. Undrafted player and USFL standout Austin Watkins continues to make statement after statement, including a dominant performance against the Philadelphia Eagles where he racked up 139 yards and a touchdown on seven catches.
With Watkins making it difficult to attempt to cut him and hope he clears waivers to stash on the practice squad, how does this shake up the rest of the wide receiver room? The Browns have historically rostered four running backs, and in a year where they are struggling to find three to fit on the field, that seems unlikely to happen again. This could leave the door open for seven wide receivers to be rostered in 2023.
Here is how the Browns’ wide receiver room may potentially shake out as Watkins continues to kick the door down.
Amari Cooper
This one is pretty easy.
Elijah Moore
So is this one.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
Donovan Peoples-Jones is most likely safe. However, there remains a crack in the door that he could be traded. He is entering the last year of his deal, he enters the last year of his contract, and has had no extension talks with the Browns beyond 2023. If a team (like his hometown Detroit Lions) makes a call and offers a decent penny for the Michigan product, the Browns could move him.
However, he has sat with the starters, and if the Browns are truly all-in in 2023, they will want to keep every weapon imaginable. Peoples-Jones is extremely safe, but not quite a lock.
Cedric Tillman
The Browns are not cutting their rookie standout. Good chat.
David Bell
There is chatter among the fanbase and the beat that David Bell could be vulnerable. But look no further than his snap count against the Eagles. If he were truly in a camp battle, he would be given more preseason snaps to prove himself.
Is he a lock? No.
But it feels extremely unlikely the Browns are going to part with their third rounder from a year ago.
Jakeem Grant Sr.
There is growing buzz that Jakeem Grant Sr. may be more safe than initially thought. While he popped his achilles last year in training camp, missing the full season, the Browns restructured his deal to give him more guaranteed money, but a lower base salary. That plays to his advantage.
Also playing to his advantage is the fact that he is an All-Pro return man. If he is back to full health, this plays to his advantage as well. He has been practicing the past week but sat out with the starters against the Eagles. Is that an indication of the heat of his seat?
Austin Watkins
Watkins is kicking down the door.
From not even being on a roster the day before the Browns left to West Virginia to establishing that he needs to be on a 53-man roster somewhere around the league, he has been one of the best preseason stories to follow.
Jaelon Darden is the big loser in this scenario as he has not practiced in three weeks. But Watkins has taken full advantage of his opportunities provided in both practice and in preseason live action.
Players with injuries who will not count against initial 53-man roster
The Browns have two players in the wide receiver room who will not count against their initial 53-man roster as they are on the non-football injury list. Those two are Marquise Goodwin, who is still battling a blood clot issue, and Mike Woods II, who popped his achilles while training this summer.
The Browns do not have to initially roster them or risk losing them the way they would a preseason Injured Reserve placement because of their NFI designation.
The odd men out
This means there are a good chunk of players who won’t make the roster, but could become practice squad stashes for the Browns. Those players are:
- Anthony Schwartz
- Jaelon Darden
- Mike Harley Jr.
- Jalen Wayne
Recapping the preseason fallout
There is a strong chance the Browns keep seven wide receivers this year. They are looking to get more explosive offensively, so why not keep more explosive athletes? This is not a team that has four running backs to roster the way it has the past two seasons, so that opens up a roster spot on the offensive side of the ball.
Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Cedric Tillman are all locks to make the roster. Donovan Peoples-Jones is quite close to a lock, but the door is cracked for him to be traded as he has a skillset overlap with Tillman and is entering the last year of his contract with no future talks with the Browns. Bell’s snap count throughout the preseason indicates he is not going anywhere either.
This leaves two spots for the likes of Austin Watkins, Jakeem Grant Sr., and Jaelon Darden realistically. Grant Sr. is getting more and more smoke his spot is safer than anticipated. And with Darden missing the last three weeks, Watkins is capitalizing.
If the cutdown was today, the projected wide receiver room would be:
- Cooper
- Moore
- Peoples-Jones
- Tillman
- Bell
- Grant Sr.
- Watkins
