Cleveland Browns Bring In 3rd-Year QB Star Players For Draft Pick From Tennessee Titans…
The Cleveland Browns executed a trade Friday that will give them extra help in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Tennessee Titans will give first-year head coach Brian Callahan extra help up front for the upcoming season.
The draft is less than two weeks away, and teams looking to upgrade their rosters before the draft will start making trades. The Browns headed into April holding seven total picks. They have no picks in the first round due to their trade with the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Before Friday, the Titans had eight total picks scheduled for the 2024 draft. They had a total of three for the seventh round. With so many late-Day 3 picks, the Titans decided to trade for a player with league experience.
According to Ian Rapoport with the NFL Network, the Titans traded for offensive tackle Leroy Watson. The Browns will add a seventh-round pick.
Trade: The #Titans have traded for #Browns OT Leroy Watson for a 2024 seventh-round pick. A depth addition.
As Ari Meirov with the 33rd Team notes, Brian’s father, Bill Callahan, the current Titans offensive line coach, coached Watson with the Browns last season.
New #Titans OL coach Bill Callahan, who is one of the most respected OL coaches in the league, worked with Watson in Cleveland. That’s the connection. https://t.co/kPDEWRoNKj
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 12, 2024
The Atlanta Falcons signed Watson as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He spent time with the San Francisco 49ers before signing with the Browns last season. He’s played in seven games.
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Browns trade Leroy Watson to Titans
Tackle Leroy Watson won’t be with the Browns for the start of their offseason program next week.
Watson was traded to the Titans on Friday. Tennessee announced that they are sending a seventh-round pick, No. 227 overall, to the Browns in exchange for Watson.
The move means Watson will be reunited with offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who left the same position with the Browns to join his son Brian’s staff with the Titans.
Watson played in seven games for the Browns without making any starts last season. He signed with the Falcons after going undrafted in 2022 and also spent time with the 49ers before making his way to Cleveland.
The Browns and Titans have pulled off a minor swap in advance of this month’s draft. Cleveland has sent offensive tackle Leroy Watson to Tennessee in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round selection (No. 227). Both teams announced the move Friday.
Watson entered the league as an undrafted free agent. He joined the Patriots’ practice squad ahead of the 2022 season, but in matter of days he took a spot on the 49ers’ taxi squad. San Francisco signed him to a reserve deal at the end of the campaign, one in which he did not see playing time. Watson was waived during 2023 roster cutdowns, but he was retained on the practice squad to begin the season.
As Cleveland dealt with a number of injuries along the offensive line, however, additions were needed up front. That led the Browns to sign the UTSA product to their active roster in November, paving the way for Watson to see his first regular season action. He made a total of seven appearances last season, playing sparingly at both left and right tackle. In a total of 55 offensive snaps, Watson did not commit a penalty and PFF did not charge him with any sacks or pressures allowed.
The 23-year-old will now be able to continue working alongside Bill Callahan. The longtime Browns offensive line coach took the same position with Tennessee this offseason to work with his son, first-time head coach Brian Callahan. Watson will aim to carve out a roster spot during the summer while working under a familiar face on the coaching staff.
The Titans still have two seventh-round selections in 2024 as a result of this deal (although No. 227 was the team’s highest pick in the round), and seven in total. The Browns, meanwhile, will see their pick total increase to six (including a pair of Round 7 selections) with this swap. 2024 marks the third and final draft in which Cleveland will not have a first-rounder owing to the Deshaun Watson trade, but the team will now have extra Day 3 capital.