Another Potential Veteran Receiver for Browns to Consider?
The Cleveland Browns are going to do everything they can in order to maximize quarterback Deshaun Watson in the coming years, including looking at every avenue to upgrade the weapons he's throwing the ball. One potential option that might hit free agency could be Robert Woods, coming off of a miserable season with the Tennessee Titans.
Over at All Titans, John Glennon wrote a list of players that the Titans could move on from in order to alleviate some major cap concerns for next season. Among the players listed is Woods.
Woods signed a four-year deal ahead of this season, but there is little guaranteed money attached. Cutting him would save approximately $12 million in cap space and would only incur $2.6 million in dead money.
Between quarterback issues and overall offensive struggles, the Titans had one of the worst passing offenses in the league. Woods only produced 523 yards on 53 receptions with two touchdowns in 17 games. That was still enough to lead the team in receiving yards.
Should the Titans choose to move on from Woods, they could release him. However, it's far more likely they trade the veteran wide out. First, his deal is easy to re-work for the team that gets him which may have been the point all along. Second and more importantly, the pool of free agent wide receivers looks shallow and uninviting. Woods would be in the mix for the top option if he were released.
The status of Woods' knee could have a major impact on the decision the Titans make and his value. Woods suffered a torn ACL in 2021 that ended his Rams season nine games into the year. That injury is what prompted the Rams to later add Odell Beckham Jr. when the Browns released him.
Assuming his knee is in good shape now well past a year since the injury, Woods could be a major bounce back candidate for 2023. The soon to be 31-year old receiver could be an excellent complementary option along side Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Woods is another receiver with the ability to line up and contribute from anywhere in the formation.
The Titans are going to be in search of a new quarterback and could be headed towards a rebuild. Cap space and added draft assets may be more valuable to them than a veteran receiver, especially with rookies Treylon Burks and Chigoziem Okonkwo already such a large part of the offense.
The Titans could decide they want to retain Woods. After all, he's a proven veteran who could be valuable in the locker room with so many young offensive players. However, if they do want to go in a different direction, Woods could be an attractive target. At the very least, Woods being thrown into the mix with DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals and Brandin Cooks of the Houston Texans, both likely to end up on new teams, Woods would provide another option and might make such a move more affordable.
