Getty Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns watches his players runs a drill during the first day of Cleveland Browns Training Camp on July 28, 2021 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The race to land the NFL’s best available quarterback is officially on, and the Cleveland Browns are deep in the game.
A grand jury in Harris County, Texas declared on March 11 that Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson will not face charges in relation to any of the nine criminal complaints brought against him involving alleged sexual misconduct, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Watson still must navigate the matter of 22 civil complaints related to the same, or similar, allegations. However, the jury’s decision Friday helped the embattled quarterback clear a significant hurdle in his quest to resume playing professional football.
Potential legal troubles looming over the last year of Watson’s career kept him sidelined for the entirety of the 2021 season, despite the fact that he was never suspended by the league. Houston was presumably concerned with the fierce criticism that might come with playing a star accused of sexual crimes. The same considerations by other NFL teams made it almost impossible to trade for Watson, along with the unknowns that would accompany any such deal. Namely, if the $156 million quarterback would eventually be suspended by the league, assuming he wasn’t already locked up in a prison cell.
A suspension from the NFL remains a possibility for Watson, but jail time appears to be off the table unless new allegations surface. Furthermore, he is under contract for the next four seasons. Watson, 26, has been a magnificent performer under center when he has been on the field, earning trips to the Pro Bowl in each of the previous three seasons. A career year in 2020 saw Watson throw for 4,823 yards and 33 TDs to only 7 INTs, per Pro Football Reference. The QB also ran the football 90 times for 444 yards and 3 scores.
That type of production is likely to prove worth the risk of a possible multi-game suspension on the front end of Watson’s eventual return to the field, at least as far as several franchises in obvious need of a quarterback are concerned.
The latest Browns news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Browns newsletter here!
High Trade Demand, Including From Browns, Expected For Texans QB Watson
GettyHouston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is more likely to be traded in 2022 after a grand jury decided on Friday, March 11 that he would not face criminal charges related to nine criminal complaints of alleged sexual misconduct.
Breer said as much in his column on Friday, naming five prominent teams he expects will kick the tires on a potential trade for Watson.
“The market is expected to be robust for Watson,” Breer wrote. “Seattle, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and New Orleans are among those that could have the firepower to deal for Watson, who has a no-trade clause.”
While the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers are projected as the top contenders to get a deal done for Watson, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, the Browns are also firmly in the mix.
Cleveland Browns have done a lot of work on Deshaun Watson lately and are now regarded as a wild-card entry into this expanding trade market, per a league source.
“Cleveland Browns have done a lot of work on Deshaun Watson lately and are now regarded as a wild-card entry into this expanding trade market, per a league source,” Wilson tweeted Friday.
Browns Have Unique Angles to Offer Watson Most Teams Are Missing
Getty ImagesMyles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland is an intriguing player in the game for Watson, particularly due to his no-trade clause. His time in Houston is over, it’s been over for more than a year, but he doesn’t have to go anywhere he doesn’t want to. Presumably, he wants to join a team that can become a major winner with relative speed, especially after being made to sit for an entire season.
Super Bowl champion QB Russell Wilson just pined and pushed for a way out of Seattle, a team that posted a win/loss record of 7-10 last year. While they have talented pass catchers under contract, the rest of the Seahawks roster has a ways to go before they return to form as a legitimate title contender.
Carolina was even worse than Seattle last season with a win/loss record of 5-12. The Panthers also fail to inspire confidence that big-time winning is a realistic possibility there in the immediate future, even with the hypothetical addition of a quarterback as talented as Watson.
Pittsburgh appears an attractive free agent destination for a quality QB, but Wilson refuted Breer’s reporting Friday when he tweeted that the Steelers “have not and are not expected to be a player in the Deshaun Watson trade market.”
Operating by Breer’s list of possible trade partners for Watson, only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints and the Browns remain. The Saints are dealing with turnover at the head coaching position after Sean Payton resigned the post in January following 15 years on the job.
That pretty much leaves the Browns and the Bucs as the two interested parties with Super Bowl-caliber rosters and an obvious need under center, as Baker Mayfield enters the final year of his rookie deal without an extension in place and Tom Brady just recently retired.
Game on.
Comments