PALM BEACH, Fla. — Cleveland co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted that the Browns “took an enormous swing and miss” with their 2022 commerce for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Haslam made the feedback on Monday throughout a session with Browns reporters on the league conferences in Florida.
“We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up quite a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve acquired to dig ourselves out of that gap,” Haslam mentioned. “Hear, I’ve mentioned this I believe quite a few instances, Deshaun Watson was a whole group determination and it ends with (co-owner) Dee (Haslam) and I, so maintain us accountable.”
The 29-year-old Watson has performed in solely 19 video games because the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans in 2022 and signed him to a five-year contract price a completely assured $230 million. Cleveland despatched 5 draft picks to the Texans, together with three first-round choices, to get the embattled quarterback.
Watson could miss the complete 2025 season after rupturing his proper Achilles tendon for the second time in three months in January. He initially injured it throughout an Oct. 20, 2024, loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2022, Watson missed the primary 11 video games due to a league suspension. He made simply six begins in 2023 earlier than struggling a season-ending shoulder damage and began seven final yr earlier than the Achilles tendon damage.
Watson is 9-10 with Cleveland with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 80.7 passer ranking.
The Browns have reworked Watson’s contract twice since December. Void years have been added via 2030 to present them extra monetary flexibility to unfold out useless cash on the contract as a substitute of taking a large hit in a single season.
Cleveland has insurance coverage that protects the contract and will get some cap aid from the NFL if he’s out for the season.
The Browns have the second decide within the upcoming NFL draft after going 3-14 in 2024. They’ve hosted Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward — the highest two quarterback prospects — and have the thirty third total decide in the event that they wait till the second spherical or need to transfer as much as get one other first-round decide.
Haslam although just isn’t saying the Browns must take a quarterback after Tennessee makes its choice to open the draft.
“I believe the message is that if the best individual’s there, we’re going to take him,‘’ Haslam mentioned. “If not, we’ll determine it out for a yr or two till we get the best individual. There’s good soccer gamers on this draft and we’ve acquired to ensure we get the best ones for us.”
Apart from Watson, the one different quarterback on Cleveland’s roster is Kenny Pickett, who was acquired from Philadelphia. The Browns had Russell Wilson in for a go to earlier than he signed with the New York Giants.
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