When quarterback Deshaun Watson finally saw the field for the Cleveland Browns in 2022 things didn’t go as planned. He struggled after not playing in nearly two years and it left some fans uncertain if the trade would work out for the team. Now with a complete offseason ahead of him knowing that he is the starter in Week 1 he feels confident things will be different in 2023.
Watson is happy to have new teammates Elijah Moore and Marquise Goodwin on the team to add more verticality to the offense. Let’s take a look at more of what Watson had to say to kick off phase one of the off-season workout schedule.
On if everything is more comfortable for him this year:
“Most definitely. I have a vision that me, the staff and this organization want to go in. Last year, it was just a whirlwind, but it was a good learning lesson for myself and for me to be able to grow. Coming in this year, I’m ahead of the game from where I was previously.”
On how much he was able to get together with teammates this offseason in Houston:
“Pretty much this whole offseason. Started in February when I started training and throwing, guys were coming in. Some guys stayed the whole time. Some guys were already there training. Some guys would fly in for a week, fly back out and come back later on. Pretty much all of the receivers came through at least once and that was a good sign to see.”
On people questioning how talented he still is:
“I don’t say anything. That’s their own opinions. I know who I am, this organization knows who I am and the guys that I play with know who I am. Everyone has their own opinions of what they want to say or how they want to–just the fact of last year. At the end of the day, I have an opportunity to go out there and prove what I need to prove in 2023. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m not focused on what anybody else has to say.”
On continuing to talk to Stefanski and Van Pelt about the offense:
“Every day is an open conversation for all of us. Today’s meetings, we were the same way. Getting to know how he thinks, how I think, studying defenses, studying this offense and what we want to do this season. We had plenty of talks from when I came in the building last year to now. We want to continue to build that relationship and continue to build our trust in each other. If all three of us are on the same page, I think we can be very successful.”
On how much different this year feels:
“It’s night and day. Last year, I had only been to Cleveland twice–when I came on a pre-visit and when we played. Outside of that, it was my first time up here with everything going on. All of that is in the past, like I said before, and I’m looking to move forward with my life and my career, just being able to really plant myself in this community, this city and also in this organization for a very long time. Win a whole bunch of games.”
On if there was a period of time last year when he and the team were still learning how to play with each other:
“Of course. We still are going to continue to grow. I play a little bit different style than the previous quarterbacks here. The play calling is going to be different. It’s a different style of quarterback play that Kevin has been around. He had Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum and then went from Baker (Mayfield) to Jacoby and then to me. It’s different styles of playing–what I was doing in Houston. It’s always growing. We are always continuing to try to find ways to improve. We are going to have our battles and our challenges, but you have to be able to adjust and move forward from that.”
On the new additions to the offense:
“We have guys who have experience. We have guys who made a lot of plays for their organizations they’ve been a part of. We have guys who want to come in here and work. Last year, we were very young. With those additions, we have more experience, speed and talent. It’s going to bring up everyone else. Just have to get the ball in their hands and let them make plays. That’s what I want to do.”
