Free agent wide receiver, North Fort Myers grad Austin Watkins signs with Cleveland Browns
Austin Watkins Jr. will get another shot at making an NFL roster.
The North Fort Myers High graduate and former University of Alabama-Birmingham standout wide receiver signed a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns, the team announced Saturday.
Previously: 'I can get through anything': Hardships fortify Austin Watkins on his path to the NFL
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound wideout was signed as an undrafted free agent out of UAB by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 but was waived with an injury settlement after breaking his foot in the first preseason game. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 31, 2022, but was waived in July.
With one spot on their 90-man roster open, the Browns tried out 11 players from different positions on Friday, including Watkins, before making the signing. The Browns placed three wide receivers on the non-football injury list on Friday, including Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin was one of four players who were put on the non-football injury list to start training camp including Marquise Goodwin, Anthony Schwartz and Mike Woods.
Watkins, 25, played for the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions in 2023 and totaled 16 catches for 197 yards and a touchdown.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: North Fort Myers, UAB grad Austin Watkins Jr. signs with Cleveland Browns
