Getty Images Free agent WR Marquise Goodwin.
The Cleveland Browns are hosting veteran speedster Marquise Goodwin for a visit this week as they investigate their options to add some significant speed to their wide receiver corps.
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports first reported Goodwin’s visit. It started Monday and is expected to wrap up Tuesday.
I’m told free agent WR Marquise Goodwin visited the #Browns Monday and is scheduled to conclude his visit in Cleveland today, per league source.
Goodwin is as fast as they come, running a 4.27 40-yard dash at the combine back in 2013. The former third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills has been around the league, playing for five different franchises. Most recently he suited up for the Seattle Seahawks, nabbing 27 catches for 387 yards and four touchdowns last season.
“He’s extraordinarily fast,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Goodwin last season. “He’s a gifted athlete. Gosh, he came right out here on day one and he still shows he can fly. He’s a real disciplined route runner and he’s also a guy who’s played all the spots, so I’m thinking that he will add something—one, what he brings athletically, but also his background and his makeup and his versatility, I’m hoping will just rub off on other guys as he goes through it.”
His best year came in 2017, when he caught 56 balls for 962 yards and a pair of scores.
The Browns have been looking to add some speed to their pass-catching unit to combine with Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Cleveland has a speedy option in Anthony Schwartz under contract, although he’s struggled mightily with drops and inconsistency. Schwartz — who was considered the fastest player in his 2021 draft class — has just 14 catches for 186 yards in his career.
Browns Looking for Additional Help Even if Goodwin Signs
GettyFree agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Even if the Browns sign Goodwin, they’ll be looking to add another receiver, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“If the Browns sign Goodwin, they’ll still likely pursue another speedy wideout in a trade, free agency or the draft,” Cabot reported on Tuesday. “Some still possibly available in trades and free agency are Odell Beckham Jr., the Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy and the Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins.”
Those three names have been mentioned frequently over the last month. Jeudy and Hopkins would cost the Browns some draft capital or players via trade, while Beckham comes with his own set of concerns after missing all of last season recovering from a torn ACL.
Browns Not Involved in Talks for Hopkins: Report
As the status of #AZCardinals star WR DeAndre Hopkins comes into focus, talks are ramping up among the interested teams, sources say. Similar to Brandin Cooks, a trade would likely mean an altered contract.
Hopkins is a former teammate of Watson and would be an impactful addition. It also sounds like things are starting to heat up, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“As the status of Arizona Cardinals star WR DeAndre Hopkins comes into focus, talks are ramping up among the interested teams,” Rapoport tweeted. “Similar to Brandin Cooks, a trade would likely mean an altered contract.”
Cooks didn’t lose any money when he was traded to the Cowboys, but his restructured contract has him counting just $6 million against the cap, despite his $12 million base salary. The Browns have just over $10 million in cap space remaining, per Over the Cap.
However, Anderson reported that the Browns “are not among teams attempting to trade for DeAndre Hopkins.” That could always change but it appears like a longshot at this point.