NFL Free Agency: Quez Watkins Headed To Pittsburgh

NFL Free Agency: Quez Watkins Headed To Pittsburgh Eric Canha, USA TODAY Sports

Quez Watkins is officially not returning to the Eagles.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Monday that the receiver had agreed to a deal to head across the state.

The Steelers wide receiver room has been pretty bare for some time, being filled only with the huge egos of every player they draft.

They hope that the Eagles 2020 sixth-round pick can help to alleviate some of the pressure they’ve put on George Pickens as they surround him with several fifth-year players who have not lived up to their draft hype like Denzel Mims and Van Jefferson.

Believe it or not, Watkins’ 1249 career yards would make him the third most accomplished receiver in the Steelers room as Van Jefferson edges him out with 1600 in the same timeframe.

Watkins was employed as a deep threat option in Philadelphia and used in gadget plays that were supposed to utilize his speed. Unfortunately, he never learned to track and catch a ball, so most of the deep shots that went to him were dropped, and he never learned to read and make the right cuts, so the gadget plays never went anywhere that wasn’t a sideline or right at a defender, even when there was wide-open field right in front of him.

The Eagles have moved on and had no reason to look to bring Watkins back after he seemingly failed to develop after what appeared could be a breakout campaign in 2021.

The WR3 position already has DeVante Parker and Parris Campbell, both of which have had far more successful seasons over the past two years than Watkins.

 

Eagles Offseason Recap:

Extensions:

DE Brandon Graham

G Landon Dickerson

TE Albert Okwuegbunam

P Braden Mann

LS Rick Lovato

K Jake Elliott

Free Agents (Added):

DE Bryce Huff

RB Saquon Barkley

LB Zack Baun

OL Matt Hennessy

WR DeVante Parker

DB CJ Gardner-Johnson

LB Devin White

LB Oren Burks

DT PJ Mustipher

WR Parris Campbell

CB Tyler Hall

QB Will Grier

Restructures:

DE Josh Sweat

Trade:

QB Kenny Pickett

Free Agents (Lost):

RB D’Andre Swift

QB Marcus Mariota

LB Nicholas Morrow

TE Jack Stoll

OL Jack Driscoll

WR Quez Watkins

Retirements:

C Jason Kelce

DT Fletcher Cox

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