It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns have to upgrade the receiving room this off-season, and Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot brought up an exciting name the Browns could end up trading for in the next few weeks.
Mike Williams Could Be Heading To The Cleveland Browns
In her article on Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot stated that the Browns should trade for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams.
Why the #Browns should try to trade for #Chargers receiver Mike Williams. My column: https://t.co/aucBbKHiZM
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 6, 2024
Williams has been in the NFL for the last seven years and has recorded 4,806 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns in 88 games.
The former first-round pick saw minimal action last season, only appearing in three games, due to a knee injury that would sideline him for the rest of the year.
Williams And Watson Go Back A Long Time
Williams does have a special connection with Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. They were teammates at Clemson from 2014 to 2016 and won the 2016 National Championship against Alabama together.
Watson is entering year three with the Browns, his make-or-break year with the team. After only appearing in 12 games his first two seasons and not playing particularly well, he needs all the help he can get in 2024 to make sure he doesn’t have a down year, and pairing him with someone he is familiar with would be very helpful.
Williams is heading into the last year of his contract and is supposed to be around a 32 million-dollar cap hit. The Chargers could cut Williams, which the team would only have to pay 12 million dollars in dead cap, or he could be traded, and we have seen the Browns make this kind of move before.
Browns Are Willing To Make A Receiver Trade
General manager Andrew Berry two off-seasons ago traded for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was in Williams’s same spot regarding money and contract. Berry traded a 2022 fifth-round pick and swapped sixth-rounders.
Cooper has been the best receiver on the Browns for the last two years and one of the best in the NFL.
The Browns have to find a way to upgrade the receiver room, and if it involves adding a veteran like Williams, then let’s hope he stays healthy and reliable.
Mary Kay Cabot wrote an article last year about how the Browns should trade for New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore. The team did that, sending a 2023 second-round pick for Moore and a 2023 third-rounder.
Moore was underwhelming last year and never managed to take control of the team’s number two receiver, which is a huge reason why the Browns need another veteran at that position this season.
Berry is a mastermind regarding trades and free-agent signings, so there should be a lot of faith in him to upgrade to the most critical position.
The Browns have to make sure they are going all in for a receiving upgrade this off-season, and they just can’t stop with a trade or a free agent. Cleveland must also address the position very high in the NFL Draft after being unable to hit on that position in the last three drafts.