When the Cleveland Browns left for training camp on July 22, they floated a last-minute transaction to fill out the final spot on their 90-man roster. That name was WR Austin Watkins Jr.
Besides Austin Watkins and his family, virtually no one noticed or cared about this. Watkins was the 12th receiver on the squad, and the team already had a crowded WR room.
A month later, things have changed.
Austin Watkins Has Become a Cleveland Browns Fan Favorite
Austin Watkins Jr. came out of the University of Alabama Birmingham in 2021, where he put up relatively pedestrian stats. As a redshirt senior in 2020, Watkins grabbed 34 receptions for 468 yards and three scores.
But Watkins’ size – 6-1, 209 lb – and speed (4.53 in the 40) were intriguing, and he signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie free agent. He was waived, then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following January. He was cut after the team’s minicamp that May.
Out of options in the NFL, he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL. He spent two weeks on the practice squad and was cut. Then he signed with one USFL team, which went bankrupt. So he was assigned to another and traded to a third, where he registered 16 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown.
Where Austin Watkins Fits in the Browns Receivers Room
In remaking their offense for newly minted franchise QB Deshaun Watson, the Browns spent a lot of resources to remake their WR room for 2023. They already had one of the best in the league in Amari Cooper. Last year’s #2 option was Donovan Peoples-Jones, who set career highs across the board. But beyond those two… not much.
First, the team traded for Elijah Moore from the New York Jets. Moore has the quickness and speed to stretch the field in the way that Cooper and Peoples-Jones can’t. Then, the Browns added a big body in Cedric Tillman in the third round of the draft. They also added speedster Marquise Goodwin as a potential deep threat.
The Browns also have two of their own third-round choices in David Bell and Anthony Schwartz. Bell was chosen in 2022 as a long-term development prospect. Schwartz, who is also a world-class sprinter, was taken the year before. Cleveland also had WR Jakeem Grant, a top-notch kick returner, coming back from an Achilles tear.
It isn’t clear if Cleveland will keep six or seven receivers. So the WR roster was already a battle when Austin Watkins signed a month ago. Watkins wasn’t expected to even knock on the door.
But Austin Watkins Has Kicked the Door Down
Austin Watkins has already played a football season in 2023. But that hasn’t stopped him from being the most productive player for the Browns in the preseason. In three games, Watkins has caught 15 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. It would have been a third if not for an overthrow against the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
No one in Cleveland knew who Watkins was a month ago. Now they’re all he can talk about. Watkins’ name is all over social media, and it seems every Browns fan wants to know if he’ll make the final 53. Watkins has played so well that it seems unlikely he could be cut and added to the practice squad later.
Does Watkins Have a Chance?
Watkins has consistently outplayed both Bell and Schwartz, while Grant has yet to see the field. Schwartz, in particular, has had a poor preseason. He fumbled his first reception and has had some key drops. Bell hasn’t been heard from much. Straight up, Watkins should be climbing the ranks. But Browns GM Andrew Berry does not lightly let go of his draft picks, and the team has a big focus on improving its special teams this year. Schwartz and Bell are Berry’s picks. Grant is a much-needed kick returner. Watkins is neither.
Yet, Austin Watkins’ name has come up in multiple press conferences with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski has been characteristically non-committal thus far. He had this to say after Thursday’s tie against the Philadelphia Eagles:
“Yeah, I mean, the tape is your resume… Austin obviously had a big night last night and continues to do a good job for us. All of the rest of it and how that sorts out, that’s why we have camp, that’s why we have another preseason game. But excited about what he’s able to do.”
The “tape is your resume” quote is a little worrying for Browns fans currently looking to purchase Watkins’ No. 80 jersey. That would seem to imply that Watkins would NEED his resume in the near future.
Learning to Be a Pro
That said, Stefanski has been impressed with Watkins’ development. Watkins has admitted that he really had to learn how to be a professional and didn’t learn how to do that until he played in the USFL this spring.
“Yeah, I think everybody’s path is a little bit different,” said Stefanski. “…we all are kind of growing at a different pace, if you will. And where he is now, he’s certainly a pro. I mean, he takes care of his business.”
Preseason NFL football isn’t always the most exciting. Austin Watkins has made the Browns’ August a lot more interesting. Will he continue when the games get real in three weeks? No one knows. But if Watkins can continue his productivity against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, it’ll be hard to say no to him.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
