Whereas many NFL teams would eventually get the hint, the Cleveland Browns have clearly never heard of the timeless phrase, “dig up, stupid!”
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Monday saw the Browns restructure Deshaun Watson’s five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Watson — who once faced more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct for what the NFL would later describe as “predatory behavior” — will now carry a cap hit of roughly $64 million from 2024 to 2026, per Over The Cap.
The idea for the Browns, who created $36 million in cap space restructure, is that they can now be big spenders in this year’s free agency period. The underlying notion is that they see the quarterback they sold their soul for rebounding from a horrendous debut season in 2022.
And I’m just not certain how realistic that assertion is.
Part of how Watson played last season could probably be chalked up to rust after sitting on the bench from trade demands and his suspension. But, that said, Watson shouldn’t have been the league’s arguably least efficient quarterback, right? Right?
It’s not like the Browns were/are bereft of talent. This offense has one of the NFL’s premier offensive lines, a top-five running back in Nick Chubb, and a top-flight receiver in Amari Cooper. Many signal callers would dream of being able to work in this kind of advantageous situation.
Yet, in six Watson starts, Cleveland amassed a total of 98 points (a healthy average of … 16.3 points a game) and never created more than 344 yards of offense. Watson, meanwhile:
- Had the lowest passer rating of his career by far (79.1)
- Completed less than 60 percent of his passes (58.2; he only threw 170 total!)
- And had a “robust” 6.5 yards per pass attempt — which would’ve tied Davis Mills and Baker Mayfield for 28th in the league if Watson had the requisite number of throws
At a certain point, rust can’t be used as an excuse. Eventually, with that kind of resume, you start to wonder if Watson is still functional at football’s highest level.
The Browns temporarily giving themselves financial breathing room by backloading Watson’s deal suggests they expect a massive rebound moving forward. They expect him to live up to the contract they shamelessly sacrificed their dignity for. They’re, in effect, tripling down on Watson’s prospects in their orange helmet.
But success for Watson isn’t a guarantee.
Nothing says that Watson won’t continue to falter through the rest of his deal, regardless of what quality the Browns surround him with. He certainly wouldn’t be the first or last NFL player to lose their mojo after signing a massive contract. Even at age 27, it’s distinctly possible we may have already seen his best on a football field.
This is just the Browns praying and hoping Watson doesn’t rightfully make them regret their brazen pursuit of the QB. Because if Watson continues to stink moving forward, Cleveland won’t even be able to dig up out of an abyss of its own making.