A NO-BRAINER FOR THE BROWNS TO GO AFTER WATT

By STEVE KING

As the Browns pursue free-agent defensive end J.J. Watt with the same fervor and determination that the former Houston Texan has pursed quarterbacks in his standout 10-year career, they need to understand what – and who – they should be trying to catch.

And at the same time, they need to understand a little club history.

If they get it – that is, if they stop and listen and figure it out – then they just may be able to get their man instead of watching him sign with one of the many other teams in the mix.

First things first. The Browns defense is not terrible. It’s just bad, and that’s bad enough. As such, if they want to get to where they want to go – not just making it to the Super Bowl for the first time in team history, but rather also to win it – then that defense needs to improve dramatically. They can score 40 points a game with that offense, but it doesn’t matter if they give up 43.

To make that happen, they need to get after the quarterback more, the importance of which – if we didn’t already know it – was exemplified with how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat, and beat up, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55. And a big piece of the puzzle in being able to do that is for the Browns to sign Watt. It’s a no-brainer. Really. Anyone who claims otherwise is … well, not using their head.

To pair him at the opposite side of the line from Myles Garrett, the Browns would have a pass-rushing capability that might be the best in the NFL, and certainly would cause opposing offensive coordinators a lot of problems. It would also make the back seven of the Browns, as bad as it is, look considerably better. After all, quarterbacks can’t exploit it if they’re laying on their back.

In addition to all that, Watt’s worth ethic and the way he goes about his business – his professionalism – would serve as a great example for Garrett and the young pass rusher the Browns are expected to take with one of their early picks in the NFL Draft.

And did we mention as well that the Browns defense is in sore need of a leader? Indeed, Watt’s leadership on and off the field is almost as important, if not even more so, than what he does on the field individually.

But there’s still more to this story.

It will come in my next post, in the form of a history lesson.