Browns Predicted to Trade Breakout WR Ahead of Regular Season

The Cleveland Browns may lead the NFL in found money at the wide receiver position with the find of Austin Watkins Jr. alone.

Cleveland signed the 25-year-old rookie on the first day of training camp (July 21) after it was clear Marquise Goodwin wasn’t going to be ready due to blood clots. A little more than one month later, Watkins has played his way from an unlikely contender to make the team to the frontrunner for the sixth wide receiver spot on the Browns’ roster.

As good as Watkins has been, he may not be able to find much playing time during the regular season considering the cast of characters ahead of him in a loaded position group. Beyond that, Cleveland has another quality option in Jaelon Darden they can roster as wideout No. 6 and use as the primary return man on special teams. The latter path makes considerable sense after Browns trainers carted Jakeem Grant Sr. off the field on Saturday, August 26, during the team’s final preseason matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Another potential path for Watkins, albeit a less likely one, could be a trade out of Cleveland for a conditional late-round draft pick.

Browns Must Decide Between Austin Watkins Jr. and Jaelon Darden

GettyWide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. of the Cleveland Browns scores a 22-yard touchdown during an NFL preseason game against the New York Jets in August 2023.

Jacob Roach of USA Today Browns Wire authored a case for Cleveland trading Watkins on Saturday.

“There are plenty of other teams … that don’t have deep wide receiver rooms or lost a major contributor to injury,” Roach wrote. “It would be a tough call but if you can’t find a role for Watkins Jr. [in Cleveland], should the team hold on to him? Many believe that … seven wide receivers is too [many] and if that’s the case, I don’t see Watkins Jr. leap-frogging the other six guys.”

That argument was written before Grant was injured on Saturday, which changes the calculus. But one way or another, the Browns will have to say goodbye to a quality prospect in the WR room come cut down day at the end of this month — either Watkins or Darden.

Austin Watkins Jr. May Have Trade Value, Jaelon Darden Does Not

GettyWide receiver David Bell (left) and wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. (right) of the Cleveland Browns celebrate a touchdown during an NFL preseason game against the Washington Commanders in August 2023.

Darden returned to practice for seven-on-seven work this week after missing significant time with injury, per CBS Sports, though the Browns held him out of Saturday’s preseason finale.

Darden was the primary threat to Grant’s job, which is now likely gone, before getting hurt. However, at this juncture, Darden’s recent injury and lack of preseason action affords him zero trade value as league-wide cuts approach and the waiver wire is about to spill over with odd men out.

Watkins, on the other hand, might have some trade value if the Browns shop him. He played in all four preseason games for the the team this August, making his mark in every one. Over the course of the month, Watkins produced 16 catches for 257 yards and two touchdowns.

He has earned a spot on the Browns roster but even if Watkins gets what he deserves, he’s behind the three starters and third-round rookie Cedric Tillman for sure. David Bell, a 2022 third-round selection, is also likely to get the benefit of the doubt over Watkins despite having a quiet preseason.

Cleveland can keep Watkins, part ways with Darden and get nothing for the latter. Or they can keep Darden, who will be among the top options in the return game with Grant gone, and try to get a conditional seventh-round selection or the like from a team light on pass-catchers and intrigued by Watkins as a prospect.

The Browns actually pulling a draft pick for a rookie wideout unproven aside from one preseason run is far-fetched, but it isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. At the very least, it’s worth a couple of phone calls.