From a football-only perspective, the winner of the Cleveland Browns-Houston Texans blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson is worthy of debate. The Texans shipped the 26-year-old quarterback to the Browns in exchange for three first-round picks, plus a third- and fourth-rounder. In addition, Watson will reportedly receive $230m in guaranteed money. That’s a boatload of capital to invest in any player, and Watson will need to give the Browns several years of production to make the deal worth it for Cleveland from a football perspective. Franchise quarterbacks drive organizations: great ones are worth breaking the bank for.
But in trading for Watson, the Browns sold their soul. Of course, Watson is no ordinary player. He’s a multi-faceted – and arguably generational – talent who led the league in passing yards in 2020. He is a three-time Pro Bowler who holds the NFL record for highest career completion percentage. The Browns salivated at those stats, all the while minimizing a far more significant number: 22.
Twenty-two women who happen to be massage therapists have accused Watson of sexual assault or misconduct. According to the initial complaint, Watson requested massages through Instagram and asked the therapists to focus on his groin area. He is accused of demanding a specific focus on his groin area and then positioning himself so the therapist was forced to feel his erect penis. Similar accounts were later shared by the other therapists who signed onto the complaint and filed civil suits.
The Texans sidelined Watson for the entire 2021 while the legal proceedings played out and the NFL launched its own investigation which is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the Browns must have concurrently launched their own investigation because exactly one week after a grand jury decided not to indict Watson on criminal charges (he still faces civil lawsuits) after a year-long police investigation, he became Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
Watson has denied the allegations against him as “baseless”. But even though he will not face criminal charges, the mere fact that a professional athlete, with access to highly trained therapists at his own team, was seeking massages on social media does not look good.
The Browns wouldn’t have insulted our intelligence if they had simply said: “Our new quarterback may be an alleged serial sexual predator, but, damn, he’s a good player.” Instead, they did just that when they issued statements defending the move, first from owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam:
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
And then from general manager Andrew Berry:
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
And finally from head coach Kevin Stefanski:
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
Many words ring hollow in each of these statements. But the emptiest are the Haslams’ claims that they are “empathetic to the personal sentiments expressed by this decision.” The very next line touts their “comprehensive evaluation process” which in the NFL is code for “not very comprehensive” when used to try and appease a fanbase. As is commonplace with teams who make deals for players with allegations hovering over them, there are no specifics as to what this comprehensive evaluation involved. Who did the team speak with aside from Watson? According to attorney Tony Buzbee who is representing the 22 women in their civil cases, neither he nor any of his clients were contacted by the Browns.
It’s hard to fathom who would be more relevant to contact. Maybe the Browns asked Watson’s friends and family if he is a good guy and then called it a day. Or perhaps the “comprehensive evaluation” involved watching film of Watson slaying the Falcons in 2019 for 426 yards, five touchdowns and a perfect passer rating from a multitude of angles.
Browns fans aren’t stupid, neither are other fanbases. We all know how the league operates. Talent trumps trouble. It would be so much simpler if the Browns admitted this very obvious fact instead of acting like they considered the moral compass of their fans. There is zero morality here from the Browns. There are 22 women with ongoing civil cases against Watson. Instead of privately sharing their accounts with Browns’ brass, they’re in the same position as all of us. They too get to read some mumbo jumbo from the Haslams about Watson’s “devotion to helping others within the NFL.” The only difference is these 22 women, if telling the truth, have to follow the long list of survivors enduring the psychological damage of seeing their alleged assaulter publicly rewarded.
The Browns’ egregious handling of the trade is further rooted in Watson’s contract. Five years, $230m guaranteed. It’s the most guaranteed money in NFL history. If it were virtually anyone else, this move would be applauded given the players’ fight for fully guaranteed contracts. But the crucial detail is that he is only due to be paid $1m in salary in the first year of his contract. That way, if he is suspended by the NFL over the assault allegations, he will lose less money than if he was owed the $46m in salary he is due in each of the next four years.
Watson may or may not deserve a chance to continue his career. That’s dependent on where the truth lies. Yet even the idea of an alleged serial sexual predator with a host of ongoing civil lawsuits against him leading an NFL team is disturbing. If the Browns were so worried about the “personal sentiments” of fans, why couldn’t they wait until after the NFL and civil investigations are over until they decide whether to trade for him?
But at least Watson has a strong arm and can help the Browns win a few more games. Just say that next time, Cleveland.
