Deshaun Watson hints at interest of Browns trading for former Clemson teammate

In the aftermath of the Davante Adams trade to the New York Jets, one player was left with a question mark hanging over his head headed into Week 7 as he now seems like an irrelevant fixture in the Meadowlands: Mike Williams.

Williams, who has had the misfortune of two lowlights on potential game winning drives in a row with New York so far this season, is suddenly expendable with Adams in the fold with Aaron Rodgers and company. And, there have already been som mumblings about his name being thrown out by Jets brass as an available trade target for teams in search of wide receiver reinforcements.

A fun fact about Williams is that he is a former teammate of Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson. They played at Clemson University together, where in 2016 they connected for 11 touchdowns and 98 total receptions, and where Watson finished the season with a 151.1 passing rate and 41 total touchdowns. This all culminated in a national championship, as well.

So, to no one's surprise, Watson seems keen on the idea of Williams being traded to Cleveland as the Jets look for potential suitors.

"Man, that's AB (Andrew Berry) and Kevin (Stefanski) and those guys up front, but, you know, if it happened, of course. I love Mike. That's my dog, my boy, and he's definitely a great addition. But, yeah, that's more for AB and Kevin," said Watson to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com in his practice availability ahead of Week 7.

Is Cleveland looking to add, or subtract, after Amari Cooper trade?

While adding Williams could be a fun quirk to this Browns offense ahead of the trade deadline, it feels like Cleveland will probably be sellers and not buyers this season. At 1-5, and with Watson yet to show any signs of returning to his former self from back when he was with the Houston Texans, it feels like a stretch to assume the team would be calling to get one of his old buddies on the team.

The team is also in a cap space conundrum headed into 2025. Cleveland has 22 free agents hitting the market - several of which are current starters, like Jedrick Wills, Nick Chubb, and Elijah Moore. Many of them will likely walk as the Browns look to try and keep its defense together - specifically, Myles Garrett. So, while the team probably doesn't have to keep offloading players if it keeps losing, I would not anticipate them adding anyone of importance for this season as they look ahead to the 2025-26 cap catastrophe awaiting them.

If they head into the Week 10 bye suddenly 4-5 and right on the cusp of a comeback, then you may see some moves made to keep that momentum going. As of now, there is none, so we should expect the front office to stand pact.

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