Tag: Austin Watkins

Eagles officially announce the signing of 20 players to Reserve/Futures deals

The Philadelphia Eagles officially announced the signing 20 players to reserve/futures deals ahead of the 2024 NFL offseason and free agency

The Eagles are looking towards significant changes at every level of the organization after a 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie will likely keep head coach Nick Sirianni.

A Wednesday press conference will be centered around the offensive and defensive coordinators and a roster severely in flux.

All eyes in Philadelphia will now turn towards the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis before the official start of the new league year and the free agent bonanza.

Philadelphia currently has 20 pending free agents and 38 players on the roster under contract, and these 20 players just signed reserve/futures deals courtesy of the team’s official website.

Browns preseason standout Austin Watkins signs futures deal with Eagles

After a season on the Browns’ practice squad, the preseason standout is heading to the City of Brotherly Love.

After one season with the Cleveland Browns on the practice squad, preseason standout Austin Watkins is heading to the Philadelphia Eagles.

As teams sign their practice squad players to futures deals at the end of their season, the Browns did the same. However, there was a hangup with the UAB wide receiver as he had multiple offers to mull over. At the end of the day, Watkins has chosen to head to Philadelphia instead of returning to camp in Cleveland.

After he was the preseason standout of the year for the Browns, Watkins did not make the final 53-man roster. He then cleared waivers and returned to the practice squad with the Browns. Going all season without being signed by any of the 31 other teams, Watkins never got his shot on gamedays.

Can Watkins make a splash in Philadelphia as he looks to make the first 53-man roster of his career?

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Eagles sign 20 players to Reserve/Futures deals

The Philadelphia Eagles signed 20 players to reserve/futures deals ahead of the 2024 NFL offseason and free agency

The Eagles are out of the playoffs and looking towards significant changes at every level of the organization after a 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie will likely keep head coach Nick Sirianni.

Still, Friday discussions and decisions will be centered around the offensive and defensive coordinators and a roster severely in flux.

All eyes in Philadelphia will now turn towards the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis before the official start of the new league year and the free agent bonanza.

Philadelphia currently has 20 pending free agents and 38 players on the roster under contract, and these 20 players just signed reserve/futures deals courtesy of NFL Communications.

3 Browns named to Touchdown Wire’s All-Preseason Team

Three Browns players (two of which were cut) were named to Touchdown Wire’s All-Preseason team

The preseason has come to a close, and the Cleveland Browns have now also cut their roster down to 53 players. The four exhibition games the team played, however, were quite eye-opening to the team as players like rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson stepped up to the occasion. As a result, the Browns felt comfortable trading backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs to the Arizona Cardinals and giving his job to the rookie gunslinger.

Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey also broke down the preseason play, naming his All-Preseason Team based on the play of those around the league who stood out. Overall, three players from the Browns made this standout list (two of which have been cut, however) for their performances this offseason as they look to make a statement around the league.

Here are the three Browns players who made Bailey’s All-Preseason Team and what the Touchdown Wire writer had to say about them.

Players recently cut that could interest the Detroit Lions

Here are some recently cut players that stand out as guys Lions GM Brad Holmes could go after.

Roster cutdowns can be an opportunity to build up a roster. Players who didn’t make one team, for whatever reason, might wind up being a good fit for another. For the Detroit Lions and GM Brad Holmes, it’s an opportunity to potentially churn the bottom of the roster even after the initial 53-man unit has been established.

Waiver claims right after the roster cutdown aren’t terribly common. but they do happen. This is how the Lions added Romeo Okwara to the roster back in 2017. There is now an opportunity for another player or two to join Okwara as a roster cutdown waiver claim who can become a long-term Lion.

The Lions are 18th in the waiver wire order by virtue of their 9-8 finish in 2022; the waiver wire order is based on the final result of the prior season at this point. Remember: players claimed on waivers go directly to the 53-man active roster, which means someone who initially made the Lions would have to be removed from the active roster — be it a cut or a move to the injured reserve.

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While I don’t expect the Lions to be very active on the waiver claim front, there are a few players who got cut by other teams that could fit roles in Detroit. Here are some that stand out as players GM Brad Holmes could go after.

How will the wide receiver room shake out after Austin Watkins dominance?

Austin Watkins has really shaken up the wide receiver room. How will the Browns sort this all out?

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.

4 Downs: Austin Watkins dominance, Cade York inconsistencies, and other takeaways vs. Eagles

Enjoy this week’s edition of 4 Downs!

The preseason matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns ended in an 18-18 deadlock. There is no overtime in the preseason (thankfully) as the first career start for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson ends in a tie. There were quite a few players with spotlights on them, particularly wide receiver Austin Watkins and kicker Cade York (for different reasons).

In this preseason slop fest that consisted of loads of turnovers and penalties, what stood out for the Browns? Here is your preseason Week 2 edition of 4 Downs.

WATCH: Kellen Mond connects with Austin Watkins for another preseason touchdown

Watkins continues to kick the door down

Wide receiver Austin Watkins continues to make his case for a spot on the 53-man roster for the Cleveland Browns. Now showing out for the third straight preseason outing, this time against the Philadelphia Eagles, Watkins has found the endzone yet again. This time on the receiving end on a ball from quarterback Kellen Mond.

He has now eclipsed the 100-yard mark in this game, including a dynamic one-handed catch earlier on the drive. The wide receiver room is tight, but Watkins is making life much harder for the Browns as they have a decision to make.

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WATCH: Dorian Thompson-Robinson threads the needle down the field to Austin Watkins

The rookie threads the needle!

While rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was not as sharp as his past two performances, he still made a few big-time throws. First, he hit wide receiver Cedric Tillman deep down the field, then he connected through a tight window to preseason standout wide receiver Austin Watkins against the Philadelphia Eagles.

As wide receivers Jaelon Darden, Marquise Goodwin, and Jakeem Grant Sr. remain sidelined, Watkins has taken full advantage of his opportunities on the field. He currently leads the Browns in receiving yards through the preseason to this point.

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3 players to watch in Thursday’s preseason game vs. Eagles

Who should you keep an eye on Thursday?

The Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up their joint practices on Tuesday as the teams prepare to face off in the preseason matchup. After seeing a majority of the starters last week against the Commanders they are all set to not play in the game. This gives young players like Austin Watkins the chance to continue to prove themselves.

The fight for the final roster spots in the wide receiver room continues with Marquise Goodwin and Jaelon Darden continuing to be sidelined. Rookies Cedric Tillman and Luke Wypler have had solid starts to their preseason careers.

Let’s take a look at three players you need to keep your eye on Thursday night.

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