49ers News: ‘High Ceiling’ 25-Year-Old Poached to Browns Roster
If there is an area in which San Francisco probably could not lose much depth, it is along the offensive line. But on Thursday, November 2, the Browns signed tackle Leroy Watson from the 49ers roster, adding him to the 53-man roster after Watson spent the last two NFL seasons on the practice squad.
Watson was originally signed by the Falcons after going undrafted out of Texas-San Antonio in 2022, and when he was waived by Atlanta that summer, he landed with the 49ers. He has not gotten a chance to play for the 49ers in his two seasons with the team, so his time with the Browns will mark his first opportunity to get game action.
It could be worth paying attention to for 49ers fans, because Watson was part of an interesting experiment with San Francisco. He was a tight end in college—his teammate at UTSA was Spencer Burford—but the Niners liked his size (6-foot-5), athleticism and blocking ability enough to see him as a future offensive tackle.
Conversion on Its Way Before Watson Left 49ers for Browns
In his short time on the 49ers roster before news hit of his signing by the Browns, Leroy Watson did make an impression, at least with one guy whose opinion should matter: Trent Williams, the 49ers’ Pro Bowl tackle. Williams said, back in July, that he had been mentoring Watson and appreciated how the young guys had been using his time.
“He comes to me for a lot,” Williams said of Watson, via The Athletic. “He’s definitely one of those little brothers. We’ve kind of got the same physical makeup — he’s an athletic guy. His ceiling’s extremely high. He’s still new to the position, but he’s an intelligent player. Like I said, he has all the attributes. He’s used all this time to his advantage.”
