PITTSBURGH — The Browns clearly took a risk by trading for Deshaun Watson given the contract they had to give him and the draft capital they gave up for him. But they had no choice. They had to do it and they knew it. Now they will sit back and hope that it doesn’t become the disaster that most things the Browns have touched seem to become.
If you ever needed more evidence that the NFL is divided into two teams — those with elite starting quarterbacks and those without — look no further than the Browns. They just traded a bunch of draft picks and guaranteed $240 million or so to get a quarterback who currently has 22 women accusing him of sexual assault.
Think about that: Watson has 22 sexual assault lawsuits hanging over his head, yet the Browns paid a premium price and unprecedented guaranteed contract to get him. Had the Browns not gotten him, there were at least three, if not four teams — depending on which reports you believe — lined up to try and do the same exact thing.
The Steelers were not in the derby for Watson and a large part of me thinks they made the right decision. Watson’s off-field legal issues are just a little too much to overlook. That doesn’t mean a player or a person shouldn’t get a second chance, but I think every team has to weigh these things against what they are willing to invest in a player. The Steelers have obviously had players with some unsavory things in their past, but that doesn’t mean they were willing to sign up to take on someone with that kind of baggage.
But the Steelers didn’t do their due diligence if they didn’t at least look into trading for Watson. They need a quarterback. They need to be able to compete in an AFC that is looking more and more like a gauntlet of great quarterbacks, young and old.
The Steelers traded for Mitchell Trubisky and that’s fine for a place holder, but nothing in his background suggests he is in the category of the other elite quarterbacks in the AFC. Actually, I am not even sure he will beat out Mason Rudolph, though, the fact that the Steelers brought him in means he will get every single opportunity to win the job. He is clearly the favorite and perhaps there could be a rehabilitation of his career given the strength of the organization but that seems a little more than wishful thinking than reality.
Trubisky is young enough that there is some upside with him, but compare him to what a number of other AFC teams bring to the table then tell me why I am supposed to believe the Steelers are a playoff team. That doesn’t mean they can’t be a playoff team, but it does mean that they are probably facing a long, uphill battle given the way the power has shifted in the AFC.
Consider: The Broncos were probably a quarterback away from being a legitimate contender, and they picked up Russell Wilson.
The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes; the Chargers, who have bolstered their defense, still have Justin Herbert; and the Raiders still have Derek Carr. The best of the bunch might be Josh Allen in Buffalo and Mac Jones — who led the Patriots back to the playoffs after a one year hiatus in the post-Tom Brady era — in New England.
The Browns went and got Watson, and even the Colts upgraded at quarterback by grabbing Matt Ryan. The Ravens still have Lamar Jackson, who won MVP a few years ago, and Joe Burrow is the best of the young quarterbacks. Jacksonville also has Trevor Lawrence and just spent a ton of money to try and upgrade the rest of the roster.
When you look around the AFC and start making preseason predictions, I am sure most people will look first at the quarterback position — and that’s not a good thing for the Steelers. That’s especially true because the Steelers have spent the last 18 seasons or so as being a part of the “have an elite quarterback club” with Ben Roethlisberger. It used to be a cliche, but there was a lot of truth to it in the preseason: “I predict the Steelers will be in the playoffs because as long as they have Big Ben, they have a chance.”
We can’t say that about the Steelers right now and that’s troubling, to be honest. I don’t believe the lack of an elite quarterback means the Steelers are doomed to become a terrible team. I even think they have a chance to make the playoffs and compete for a division title because they have made some really good moves to bolster their weaknesses.
It is just going to be much harder for them given where their quarterback situation ranks in the AFC. Gone are the days when they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, at least for the next few years.
The Browns certainly gambled and gave up a lot to get Watson, but that’s because they knew they had to in order to truly have a chance of becoming part of the elite. The Steelers are going to have to work hard to find their next franchise quarterback and may need to get creative and take a few chances to make it happen.
