Browns Say They Did A ‘Tremendous Amount Of Background’ Before Trading For Deshaun Watson
On Sunday, the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns announced a massive trade, with Houston sending quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Browns for three first round draft picks, a 2023 third round pick, a 2024 fourth round pick, and a 2025 fifth round pick.
The Browns are reportedly giving Watson a new five-year, $230 million contract, with the entirety of the contract guaranteed. It’s the most guaranteed money ever for an NFL player.
While it’s a massive acquisition for the Browns, who now have their franchise quarterback, the move does not come without controversy.
Last week, a grand jury declined to indict Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on nine criminal complaints stemming from 22 civil cases brought against Watson for harassment and sexual assault during massage appointments.
While Watson will not face criminal charges, the civil cases are still pending, causing many to question the move.
The Haslams, owners of the Browns, put out a statement saying they had gone through a “comprehensive evaluation process” before making the trade.
“We spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson,” the Haslams said. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said the organization did a “tremendous amount of background” on Watson.
“Our organization did a tremendous amount of background on Deshaun,” Stefanski said. “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.”
The attorney representing the 22 women who have accused Watson of sexual assault told ESPN that no one from the Browns organization reached out to him in their background research.
“The Browns organization did not reach out to me,” Buzbee told ESPN. “I didn’t expect them to do so, and can understand why they didn’t. But, knowing what I know, they probably should have.”
In other NFL news, the Atlanta Falcons are reportedly trading quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan is the fourth big-name quarterback traded this offseason, with the Seahawks trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos, and the Colts trading Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
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