3 Browns free agent options if Marquise Goodwin misses significant time

As the Cleveland Browns were reporting for training camp, they ended up getting some bad news. Free agent addition Marquise Goodwin started to feel discomfort in his legs along with shortness of breath.

It was later discovered he had blood clots in both his lungs and legs. He's since been placed on the Non-Football Injury List. While they're still deep at the position, Goodwin was expected to have a role.

3. Julio Jones

Goodwin was never going to be a player that caught 50 passes for the Browns but he was given a $400,000 guarantee due to what he brought to the field — deep speed. With him out, their next best deep threat is Anthony Schwartz and while he's a burner, he hasn't been consistent at all.

That's why it makes sense to look at a veteran who might not be as fast as Schwartz, but can still run crisp routes, get deep, and — most importantly — catch the ball. One player who potentially fits that bill is Julio Jones.

A former superstar for the Atlanta Falcons, Jones hasn't been the same player the past two seasons with Tennessee and Tampa Bay. But he still had his moments with the Bucs, hauling in 24 receptions for 299 yards with two touchdowns.

Jones would also be a good mentor for the younger wideouts on the team such as rookie Cedric Tillman and second-year player David Bell. Each has the potential to be a starter in the NFL and learning from someone such as Jones would be a great player to learn from.

2. T.Y. Hilton

A product of Florida International, T.Y. Hilton ran a 4.34 in the 40-yard dash back in 2012. Known primarily as a speed guy, he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the draft.

He quickly developed into a weapon and had 50 receptions for 861 yards and seven touchdowns — while averaging an impressive 17.2 yards per catch. He spent a total of 10 years with the Colts and had 631 catches for 9,691 yards (15.4 yard average), and 53 touchdowns.

In 2022, he ended up having to wait to find a home until later in the season. Eventually, he landed with the Dallas Cowboys, who were still struggling to round out their receiving corps after their terrible decision to send Amari Cooper to the Browns.

Despite being 33 years old, Hilton proved he still had the wheels on his very first reception. Facing a third-and-30, Dallas dialed up a deep pass and Dak Prescott hit Hilton for a 52-yard gain and a critical fresh set of downs as they ended up beating the Eagles.

On the year, Hilton had seven receptions on 10 targets for 121 yards — finishing with an average of 17.3 yards per catch. He added three receptions for 38 yards in the playoffs and had a knack for converting on third downs.

While he might not have the same speed Goodwin does at this point in his career, Hilton can still get deep and is arguably the most savvy route runner left on the open market.

1. Sammy Watkins

Back in 2014, Sammy Watkins was a huge name in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills moved up in the draft to select the Clemson product fourth overall and he was supposed to be their new No. 1 wideout.

While he never lived up to his draft status, Watkins has put together nine solid seasons in the league and has always been known as a deep threat.

He also has ties to the team since Cleveland already added a member of the Watkins family, signing Austin Watkins just before camp. Austin is the younger cousin of former first-round pick Sammy Watkins and spent this past season with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL.

Watkins had 16 catches for 197 yards and a touchdown before the Browns decided to bring him in. And with the connection to a former starting wideout, Brad Stainbrook of the OBR asked Sammy about possibly joining the Browns as well.

Watkins has only once topped the 1,000-yard mark in his career but he has 364 receptions for 5,384 yards and 34 touchdowns. He played for the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens in 2022, finishing with three receptions for 119 yards (39.7 yards per reception) for the Ravens.

He's clearly not the same player he once was but at 30 years of age, he's the same age as Goodwin and has the veteran leadership to go along with it.

With no one knocking down his door, it might be worth seeing what the price tag would be for Watkins if Goodwin were to miss any time. As is the case with the other options, he can stretch the field and is a far more proven player than someone such as Anthony Schwartz.