The Cleveland Browns’ decision to acquire Pro Bowl Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson during the spring could ultimately come back to haunt the team big time moving forward.
Cleveland exhausted three first-round picks and change on the troubled signal caller shortly after separate grand juries in Texas opted against recommending criminal charges against the quarterback. This came after north of 20 women had accused him of sexual misconduct.
Fast forward a few months, and Watson could be facing a long-term suspension from the NFL with a decision slated to come down potentially as early as later this week.
We’re now hearing more on the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback plans for the offseason. According to respected NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, the Browns made a play for future Hall of Fame quarterback Russell Wilson. Unfortunately, he was not interested in playing for the team.
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Wilson was ultimately dealt from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos in a package similar to the one Cleveland gave up to Houston for Watson.
The two quarterbacks obviously find themselves in different off-field situations. Wilson is a respected member of the community in the Pacific Northwest and earned NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year honors back in 2020.
Meanwhile, Cleveland continues to face push back for acquiring Watson in the first place after a plethoral of women accused him of sexual wrongdoing.
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Cleveland Browns QB situation as it stands now
The arbitrator in Deshaun Watson’s disciplinary case with the NFL, Sue Robinson, is expected to make a final ruling here soon. Led by commissioner Roger Goodell, the league is pushing for an indefinite suspension that would require Watson to apply for reinstatement in a calendar year.
Recent indications are that there’s a growing sentiment Watson will play at some point this season.
It’s possible he could face a 6-to-8 game suspension, leading to Jacoby Brissett getting the call under center short-term. If the suspension is longer, going after someone like San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could make sense.
The larger-scale issues for Cleveland is Watson’s off-field issues and the massive contract this organization handed the 26-year-old signal caller.
- Deshaun Watson contract: 5 years, $230 million; $230 million fully guaranteed
Obviouly, there are clauses in said deal that would enable the Cleveland Browns to get out of it. But this has to be seen as concerning for general manager Andrew Berry and Co.
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Denver Broncos more than happy Russell Wilson chose Mile High
The other backdrop here was Denver’s ability to acquire Wilson in a blockbuster trade with Seattle back on March 16.
Wilson, 33, has been among the best quarterbacks in modern history. He’s also showing no signs of slowing down and has made the transition to Denver seamlessly as the Super Bowl quarterback looks to bring a Lombardi to Colorado.
“We’ve got a championship-caliber football team. Now it’s time to just show up and prove it, go out and do it.”
Russell Wilson to reporters during training camp on Wednesday
Throughout his 10-year run in Seattle, Wilson threw for 37,059 yards with 292 touchdowns and 87 interceptions. He added 4,689 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground while leading the Seahawks two Super Bowl appearances and one title.
It goes without saying that Wilson is Denver’s best quarterback since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning’s career ended with the team following the 2015 campaign. It also has these Broncos as legit Super Bowl contenders heading into Wilson’s first season with the team.
Meanwhile, questions are abound for the Cleveland Browns head into Week 1.