The Cleveland Browns have finally admitted defeat publicly on the trade for Deshaun Watson, a sign that the team is ready to move on from the debacle.
Cleveland traded for Watson in 2022, hoping he could be their quarterback of the future. It hasn’t worked out and Watson’s $230 million fully guaranteed contract is something that will haunt the Browns for years to come.
Watson has appeared in just 19 games for Cleveland due to injuries and a lengthy suspension stemming from off-field issues. The Browns have posted a 9-10 record with Watson as the starter, including a disappointing 1-6 mark last season. During that stretch, Watson has thrown for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
While speaking to reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting in Florida, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam called the move a swing and a miss.
“Well, I mean let’s address the elephant in the room,” Haslam said. “We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun. We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
In addition to the hefty contract, the Browns gave up three first-round picks in the deal for Watson. Haslam did not point the finger at general manager Andrew Berry or head coach Kevin Stefanski; he took the blame for the failed move.
“Listen, I’ve said this I think numerous times the Deshaun Watson was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee (Haslam) and I, so hold us accountable,” Jimmy Haslam said.
Browns Paint Uncertain Picture for Deshaun Watson’s Future
By the sounds of it, Watson will not be suiting up again as the starting quarterback for the Browns. Cleveland is exploring all its options to find a sustainable solution at quarterback. Watson is expected to miss most of next season recovering from an Achilles injury.
“He’s had three horrific injuries in what, a 15-month period, right?” Haslam said. “Shoulder, tears his Achilles and re-tears his Achilles. I think the focus now is on getting him healthy and how long does that take and when can he be healthy? So that’s the main thing we’d be focused on.”
There was speculation that Watson re-injured his Achilles while doing non-prescribed activities during his recovery away from the team facility. However, Berry cleared that up while speaking at the combine.
“Unfortunately, he turned his foot (or) ankle that caused the re-tear during the normal stages of the recovery process,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the NFL Combine. “I know there’s been a lot of speculation and everything out there, but there’s nothing nefarious. It’s just an unfortunate accident. So our focus is on making sure that he gets healthy and can be back to normal.”
Browns Not Pushing QB With No. 2 Pick
The Browns have the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft and a chance to select one of the top quarterbacks. But Haslam is not petitioning for that pick to be a quarterback if it’s forced.
“I think the message is if the right person’s there, we’re going to take him,” Haslam said. “If not, we’ll figure it out for a year or two until we get the right person. And I just keep saying, we need good football players. There’s good football players in this draft and we got to make sure we get the right ones for us.”
The quarterback most often linked to the Browns is Shedeur Sanders. Cam Ward is regarded as the best passer in the draft but will likely be selected with the top pick.
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