We all know that Deshaun Watson has been awful since setting foot in Cleveland and becoming the (part-time) starting quarterback for the Browns. So, how about trading the guy?
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Well, good luck with all that, wrote Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
As Florio pointed out, there's been some buzz out there — on the platform formerly known as Twitter, of course — that Watson wants out of Cleveland. And sure, that sounds intriguing, but let's be real: Watson isn't going anywhere, Floro insisted.
Not with Watson's contract. Not with $92 million guaranteed over the next two years. You think any team is going to trade for him with those numbers hanging around his neck? That's like expecting a Ferrari to show up in your driveway for free, Florio wrote, adding that any suggestion such is utter fantasy land.
Now, would the Browns like to move Watson? You bet they would. And they'd probably even consider a Brock Osweiler-type deal, where you throw in some picks just to get someone to take that contract off your hands, Florio wrote — adding that they did it once with Osweiler, swallowing $17 million and cutting him before the season even started. But $17 million is one thing. $92 million is something else entirely.
As Florio explained, if the Browns wanted to trade Watson before June 1, they'd be looking at an $80 million cap hit in 2025. That's some serious financial pain. But even after June 1, it's still a mess. No one's signing up for that cap headache, especially with Watson playing like a shell of his former self.
Florio added that Watson could always offer to restructure his deal. Maybe if he wants out badly enough, he'll take less money to make it happen. But come on — who's giving up $92 million guaranteed? Watson would have to be willing to leave a whole lot on the table, and as Florio said, the QB just ain't that desperate yet.
Plus, we all know that Watson hasn't played well enough to warrant this kind of contract anymore. The Browns gambled big on him, gave up a truckload of picks, and handed him the richest guaranteed deal in NFL history, Florio wrote. And so far? It hasn't paid off. He's looked like a quarterback who's lost his edge. There were flashes last year, like that big win over the Baltimore Ravens, but injuries derailed everything.
So as Florio detailed, the Browns are stuck, hoping Watson can rediscover his old form. If not, they'll be paying top dollar for a guy who's been a football disaster. They've hitched their wagon to him, and barring a miracle, they're not unhooking it anytime soon.
In the meantime, you could make the case for giving Jameis Winston a shot," Florio added. The Browns have to pay Watson, but they don't have to play him. Maybe benching him would be the wake-up call he needs. Maybe it pushes him to renegotiate or reconsider. Either way, Watson is going to get paid. The only question is whether he'll be worth it — and right now, that answer looks pretty bleak, as Florio concluded.
