Watson Trade: Browns' Regret Grows

0:00On March 15th, the Cleveland Browns' trade for Deshaun Watson back in 2022 is shaping up as one of the worst moves in franchise history. They sent six draft picks to Houston, including three first rounders, and handed him a fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million. Unless he grabs the starting job, excels, and pushes the team into playoffs, it'll stay a massive regret. New details emerged from a podcast where former NFL players revealed Watson was nearly headed to the Atlanta Falcons instead. They were texting with him about joining their squad when the Browns jumped in with that bold offer, despite his time away from football over. Off-field matters. Fans and analysts are still reeling from the fallout. In four seasons, Watson has dealt with suspensions, injuries, and subpar play. His completion rate dropped to around 61% with just three. 1365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 picks in a 9 and 10 record as starter. Houston, meanwhile, used those picks to build stars, like defensive in Will Anderson, Jr., wide receiver Tank Dell, and running back Damien Pierce.

1:07Feeling bare rebuild. Cleveland stuck restructuring Watson's deal again, cutting his cap hit to about $45 million this year with over $87 million. And dead money looming for the next two. The contract's constraints will limit big moves until at least 2028, leaving the Browns to ponder a very different path if Watson had landed elsewhere.