Deshawn Watson has a new home in the NFL. After days of deliberation and meetings with several potential teams, the current Texans quarterback decided on Friday to waive his no-trade clause and join the Cleveland Browns. While any Watson deal would have to be seismic, the decision was an especially stunning move as the Browns initially pulled out of contention on Thursday, only to return at midnight.
After Watson announced where he wanted to go, the Texans and Browns went the rest of the way to complete what is one of the largest deals in league history. Houston sent Watson and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Browns in exchange for first-round picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick. Cleveland also signed Watson to a new five-year, $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed.
Find our scores for this blockbuster below and see how the Browns and the Texans made the deal a success.
Brown: B+
The Browns are getting a clear quarterback upgrade by winning Watson over Baker Mayfield, but the move comes with risks. The most immediate of these is Watson’s problems off the field with his pending civil lawsuits by 22 different women alleging sexual harassment or assault. The NFL is still investigating this situation with Watson, and looking at the structure of his new contract, it looks like he’s poised for some kind of suspension. Naturally, this will hurt Cleveland’s chances of making it out of the net in 2022 if Watson misses significant time. Secondly, the price tag for its acquisition is considerable. While the Los Angeles Rams and their Lombardi Trophy mint are proof that a draft pick can be successfully dropped in the pursuit of a title, laying the groundwork for nearly half a century of first-round picks will require quick success.
With all this, Watson’s talent cannot be denied. He is a deadly double-threat quarterback who is firmly on the same elite level as the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and others in the AFC. At 26 years old, the Browns have solved their quarterback problem for the foreseeable future and are now a real threat to the fight for what will be their first ever Super Bowl title. For a franchise as hungry for Lombardi as the Browns, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see them putting all their chips in the middle for this generational field talent.
Texans: A
It may have taken a little longer than expected when Watson originally requested a trade after the 2020 season, but the Houston Texans have gotten back on their feet pretty well. Winning such a big trophy for a player who has the same off-field insecurities as Watson (even though he won’t be prosecuted) says as much about Nick Caserio’s prowess as it does about the quarterback’s formidable strength. talent. This was the second time in NFL history that one team traded three picks in the first round (Hershel Walker trade).
With Houston in a complete overhaul, getting as many cracks as possible in the first round is vital in order to change the franchise in a relatively short amount of time. Having such a large number of first-handers also gives them the freedom to move freely on the draft board should they find a replacement for Watson in the future, should third-placed Davis Mills in 2021 not prove to be the center forward’s answer.
Of course, the only way this swap is a really good move for the Texans is if they actually find most of these peaks, which we won’t know for about a decade. However, strictly speaking in terms of pick selection, you won’t find many such comebacks in league history.