If the Cleveland Browns come calling, Sammy Watkins will happily answer.
The Browns signed Watkins’ younger cousin, Austin, prior to training camp, giving the team some extra depth at wide receiver with a couple of guys banged up. Sammy Watkins, 30, told Browns insider Brad Stainbrook of theOBR.com that he plans on playing this season and would consider Cleveland.
“Reached out to veteran NFL WR Sammy Watkins following the news that the Browns signed his younger cousin, Austin,” Stainbrook tweeted. “Watkins does plan on playing this year, and when asked if he’d join his cousin in Cleveland, he replied ‘tell them come get me.'”
Reached out to veteran NFL WR Sammy Watkins following the news that the #Browns signed his younger cousin, Austin.
Watkins does plan on playing this year, and when asked if he’d join his cousin in Cleveland, he replied “tell them come get me.”
Watkins would be an interesting option for the Browns, especially with the uncertain status of Marquise Goodwin. The Browns signed Goodwin this offseason to add a speedy veteran piece to their wide receiver corps. However, he’s dealing with blood clots in his legs and lungs and his status going forward is uncertain.
Sammy Watkins has spent nine seasons in the NFL, playing for five different teams. Last season he split time between the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens, playing in 12 games with five starts. He made 16 catches for 325 yards.
Watkins — the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 draft — has 5,384 yards and 34 touchdowns in his career.
Browns Opted Not to Sign DeAndre Hopkins
The Browns were in the mix for another veteran name this offseason in DeAndre Hopkins, who was one of the most notable free agents after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.
Hopkins had a natural link to the Browns due to his relationship with quarterback Deshaun Watson, with the two previously combining in Houston. Watson even made a public pitch to Hopkins about potentially joining him in Cleveland.
“I’ll just say this, D-Hop, DeAndre Hopkins would love to be in a place where the opportunity is there for us to win,” Watson said in May. “We check all those boxes and I think for us to know and make sure we check all those boxes on the national stage, we’ve got to go out there and prove it and I think D-Hop would love to be a part of that.”
Ultimately, Hopkins signed with the Tennessee Titans to a deal worth $26 million over two years. It could be worth up to $32 million with incentives. That was a price the Browns were not willing to pay for the veteran pass-catcher and the team feels confident in their group of receivers.
Anthony Schwartz Also Injured for Start of Camp
The Browns are down Goodwin as well as former third-round pick Anthony Schwartz, who landed on the non-football injury list ahead of training camp.
Schwartz is very much on the bubble heading into this season. He’s yet to produce to the level the Browns expected when taking him out of Auburn in 2021 as a third-round pick. Schwartz has just 14 catches in two seasons for 186 yards.
The Browns have their top pass-catcher set in Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Elijah Moore. There will be some shuffling lower on the depth chart, with David Bell, rookie Cedric Tillman and Schwartz and others battling for reps.
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Former Top 5 Pick Calls on Browns to Sign Him: ‘Come Get Me’