Good to be wrong

A moment please before beginning while I scrape all the egg off my countenance. Make that a couple of moments. Thank you.

After the Browns placed Austin Watkins Jr. on waivers Tuesday and made him available to the other 31 National Football League teams as they pared the roster to the mandated 53-man limit, fans were upset. I thought for sure he was gone.

But no one, to the surprise -- and subsequent delight -- of those who also believed the club's training camp star was gone, picked him up. Not one bite in spite of the fact Watkins put up 16 receptions of 257 yards,  a couple of touchdowns and numerous clutch catches in four exhibition games.

What's going on here? Is there something new in talent evaluation I missed? Is there a reason numbers like that aren't rewarded? Were there flaws in his performances I missed? 

Surely there had to be someone out on the NFL landscape paying attention to what Watkins was accomplishing. What didn't they see that we all did? 

Is there something we don't know about Watkins? Any off-the-field misbehavior that would scare off scouts? Is he too old at 25? Guess we'll never find out.

Better to enjoy what did not happen and be thankful his presence gives the Browns depth in the event any member of the extremely talented wide receivers room runs into physical problems. Watkins is now one injury away from suiting up.

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The 15-man practice squad is comprised of Watkins and 11 training-camp teammates thought of highly enough to be invited back after clearing waivers. Quarterback P. J. Walker and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood also were signed after being cut by the Chicago Bears.

Leatherwood is an interesting case. He played left tackle on the other side of the line from Jedrick Wills Jr. of the Browns at Alabama for a couple of seasons and was drafted as a tackle by the Las Vegas Raiders (17th) in the first round of the 2021 college lottery. 

Problems playing the position at the NFL level caused the Raiders to move him inside at guard as a rookie where he played all 17 games. His problems continued there, too, and the Raiders in a highly unusual move cut the cord after just one season. The Bears picked him up, but he logged just four games last season after missing time with mononucleosis and other injuries. They released him a few days ago.

Cleveland will be Leatherwood's third team in three seasons. In two short years, he is on his way to becoming an NFL vagabond at the age of 24. Guessing here the Browns will make him Bill Callahan's next project in an effort to halt the journey.

The highly-regarded offensive line coach, whose units with the Browns annually receive high praise as one of the league's best, is known for molding and developing struggling linemen, turning them into productive pieces.

Walker, a savvy four-year veteran, was signed to the PS instead of Kellen Mond. He most likely will become the scout team quarterback, whose important job is to simulate the tendencies of that week's opposing quarterback.

New kicker Dustin Hopkins will be backed up on the PS by Lucas Havrisik, who  previously was in camp with the Indianapolis Colts.

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To no one's surprise, except maybe the Browns', Cade York is now a member of the Tennessee Titans practice squad. He, again surprisingly, cleared waivers and could have re-signed with Cleveland, but chose instead to head back down south.

York returning to Cleveland would have shocked me. He would have been placed on the practice squad behind newly-acquired Dustin Hopkins. Putting myself in his position, why would I want go come back to all that aggravation? That ship sailed the second he was placed on waivers.

"I think you can understand him maybe wanting to go somewhere else and maybe get a breath of fresh air," said Glenn Cook, the Browns' VP/Personnel. Ya think?

York might have to wait a little while to get his chance at retribution. The Titans, as the Browns, have struggled in the kicking department, so they traded the other day for 40-year-old Nick Folk.

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And finally . . . Say goodbye to cornerback A. J. Green III and welcome fellow corner Khalef Hailassie, the only player thus far claimed off waivers from Kansas City. Apparently General Manager Andrew Berry saw something he liked from the undrafted rookie. Maybe it Hailassie's three solo tackles in the Chiefs' 33-32 victory in the exhibition finale last Saturday.