A BAD MOVE, A BAD DAY, A BAD LOOK
By STEVE KING
There was a long-ago book and play entitled, “Damn Yankees,” in which Joe Hardy, a devoted fan of woebegone Washington Senators, sells his soul to the Devil so they can beat the hated New York Yankees and win the American League pennant.
Never in anyone’s wildest dreams did anyone think then, when ‘Damn Yankees” debuted, that the Browns, with General Manager Andrew Berry in control and with the approval of owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, would follow the Senators’ lead and sell their souls to try to beat out the rest of the AFC to get to their first Super Bowl, and then win it.
But that’s exactly what has happened with the feverish pursuit of quarterback Deshaun Watson, and the stunning about-face on Friday when, after telling the Browns thanks but no thanks, he agreed to be dealt to Cleveland for a plethora of first-round picks in the NFL Draft.
OFFICIAL: We have acquired 3-time Pro Bowl QB Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Texans
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
Watson has all kinds of awful, disgusting off-the-field problems that are well-documented, yet the Browns are willing to look past all of that — and it is a lot — to allow him to be the face of the franchise and quarterback the team for the foreseeable future.
That decision by the Browns’ deep thinkers — by these slick, young guys who are supposed to be so smart and savvy — runs so much against the grain — or at least what everybody thought was the grain — that it flies in the face of common sense, good business and moral principles. There’s absolutely no way they can justify it, especially to their female fans.
March Madness?
It’s not just in college basketball right now. It’s also at Browns Headquarters in Berea.
This is crazy, right? It’s like a dream — and not a good one, either. It’s a nightmare of great proportions.
I don’t want that guy, Deshaun Watson, anywhere near my football team for any reason, yet here he is, not just near the club but right smack-dab in the middle of it, ready to hunker down for a good, long time.
I guess I should be mad, but I am too sad and disappointed for that.
One of the worst days — darkest days — in Browns history?
Oh, yeah.
READ NEXT: I don’t want Watson anywhere around my football team
Provided by the Browns communications department
Browns trade for QB Deshaun Watson
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans have made the following trade:
Browns receive:
QB Deshaun Watson
2024 5th round pick
Texans receive:
2022 1st round pick
2023 1st round pick
2023 3rd round pick
2024 1st round pick
2024 4th round pick
Watson has been selected to three Pro Bowls (2018-20) and led the NFL in passing yards in 2020 with 4,823. He has recorded the highest completion percentage in NFL history (67.8 percent) among all players with at least 1,500 passing attempts. Originally a first-round pick by Houston in 2017, Watson has appeared in 54 career games and has completed 1,186 of his 1,748 passes for 14,539 yards with 104 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and a 104.5 rating. He has added 1,677 rushing yards with 17 touchdowns. Watson helped Clemson win the 2016 National Championship and won the Davey Brien Award as the top NCAA QB in 2015 and 2016.
Dee and Jimmy Haslam:
“We spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson. We are acutely aware and empathetic to the highly personal sentiments expressed about this decision. Our team’s comprehensive evaluation process was of utmost importance due to the sensitive nature of his situation and the complex factors involved. We also understand there are still some legal proceedings that are ongoing and we will respect due process. It was pivotal that we, along with Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, meet with Deshaun to have a straightforward dialogue, discuss our priorities, and hear directly from him on how he wants to approach his career on and off the field. He was humble, sincere, and candid. In our conversations, Deshaun detailed his commitment to leading our team; he understands and embraces the hard work needed to build his name both in the community and on the field. Those in-depth conversations, the extensive evaluation process, his dedication to being a great teammate and devotion to helping others within the NFL, within the community, and through his charitable initiatives provided the foundation for us to pursue Deshaun. We are confident in Deshaun and excited about moving forward with him as our quarterback and supporting his genuine and determined efforts.”
Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry:
“We look forward to having Deshaun as our starting quarterback. We have done extensive investigative, legal and reference work over the past several months to provide us with the appropriate information needed to make an informed decision about pursuing him and moving forward with him as our quarterback. Deshaun has been among the very best at the position and he understands the work needed to re-establish himself on and off the field in Cleveland. We are confident that he will make positive contributions to our team and community as we support his return to football.”
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski:
“Our organization did a tremendous amount of background on Deshaun. We understand the concerns and questions that exist but are confident in the extensive work Andrew and his staff have done to feel confident about him joining our organization. It was important for us to meet with Deshaun in person as part of our team’s evaluation process, we had a candid conversation regarding his approach to coming into our organization and community. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to coach Deshaun, he is ready to put in the hard work needed to help our team improve and make a positive impact in our community.”
