The Cleveland Browns may know the results of the NFL’s appeal of QB Deshaun Watson’s discipline by the time you read this article. It also could take another week or two before Peter Harvey hands down his decision.
For Watson, all he can do is wait and see. Along with his legal team, the quarterback can be prepared to file a lawsuit if the NFL gets their wish of at least a one-year suspension but very little else.
For the team, preparation goes on with multiple outcomes possible. Jacoby Brissett is assumed to be the team’s quarterback while Watson is out for his current six-game suspension. If Harvey rules Watson out for at least a year, things could change.
According to Mary Kay Cabot, Jimmy Garoppolo could be on the radar:
The Browns will consider acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo if Deshaun Watson’s six-game suspension significantly increases upon appeal, league sources tell cleveland.com.
Garoppolo has been discussed as a possible Cleveland target as far back as his time with the New England Patriots.
While looking at his team’s winning ways with him at center, it can be easy to get excited about Garoppolo replacing Brissett. For the Browns, the question has to be how big of an upgrade would trading for a new starter be especially given the price involved in a trade and the contract.
Perhaps, like Carolina’s trade for Baker Mayfield, Cleveland can get a much cheaper contract and trade a low-level pick in a future year for one year of Garoppolo.
The San Fransisco quarterback has his limitations. He struggles throwing the ball deep and over the middle. He is generally timid in trying to make plays happen. Even when he shared time with Brissett in New England, there was some question about his toughness:
Julian Edelman was asked about former #Patriots TE Martellus Bennett calling ex-Pats QB Jimmy Garoppolo a “Bitch” and that “You can’t win with a bitch for a quarterback.”
Edelman concludes: “I can understand why Marty thinks like that.” pic.twitter.com/s2LMHq4dD3
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 27, 2022
With the 49ers moving on to Trey Lance, Garoppolo to the Browns talk will likely heat up if Harvey brings down a long suspension. Edelman’s comments as a former teammate of both Garoppolo and Brissett are interesting to look back on as are some of the former Patriot QBs struggles. Our Doug Farrar calls Garoppolo a “purgatory quarterback” for a few reasons.
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