Update: Deshaun Watson traded to Cleveland Browns

[UOK]

[The Marshall Plan]

I take it Matt Ryan is part of the deal?

[Umbali]

I havent seen that yet. Where is it being reported?

[wab]

Still a rumor but it has been confirmed that he waived his trade clause for Atlanta.

[UOK]

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Watson is going to the Browns. Wow did that flip quickly! Mayfield and the Browns have been on the outs for several months now. The Browns have offered Watson $184M and five years. WTF!?

[Xee]

I don't follow the rest of the NFL that much but I see that Browns fans are not happy about this move. Is it because of the allegations? The contract?

[wab]

Probably means Baker to the Colts?

[southdakbearfan]

I don't follow the rest of the NFL that much but I see that Browns fans are not happy about this move. Is it because of the allegations? The contract?

That’s a lot of capital to give up for a guy that may be sitting a while. Heck it’s a lot of draft capital anyway, then throw in 5 picks, renegotiate his deal to 45+ million per year, cap hell will come quickly.

[LacertineForest]

Holy Shit...

[The Marshall Plan]

Queue the Bleacher Report article proclaiming that the Browns are now Super Bowl favorites.

[LacertineForest]

This feels like such a Browns move to make. I mean, it obviously gives them a very good QB right away, but man that's a lot of (guaranteed!) money and picks for a guy who sat a year because of sexual assault allegations. Hopefully for them he plays lights out and doesn't get hurt...

[Moriarty]

5 picks and $230M 100% guaranteed to guy who wasn't even playing last year and who could theoretically face some public ugliness?
Wow.
That's...something.

I'm going to enjoy the later part of that contract when he has nothing around him.

[southdakbearfan]

I guess they are all in right now.

[LacertineForest]

Another one for perspective...



Getting your guy through FA costs serious $$$ and resources. Who's next in line for a contract? They should send Watson a thank you of some kind.

[Xee]

Crazy how a guy can not play for a year and then get a contract for $50 mill more than he was making.

[Rusty Trombagent]

even by the nfl's trashy standards, this is extremely gross:

[Xee]

even by the nfl's trashy standards, this is extremely gross:

So does that mean if more allegations come out, or he shoots himself in the thigh at a night club, or he crashes his lambo and gets suspended, the guaranteed money is safe?

[spudbear]

Anyone else remember the gnashing of teeth, the angst of passing on the "sure thing experienced college champ Watson" over Mitch? Many of us tried to feel better by thinking that Watson would not be durable enough to last more than a few years. Now a team is all in for five years at obscene $$ contract? I thought the big money for Erin was crazy, but this surely tops it.

Watson ain't going to last in the frigid AFC North. I don't know how Cleveland will be able to afford keeping some of their other players, particularly on D, with Watson gobbling up the cap money. I realize QB is the most important position in sports but the NFL is still a team sport. The league will need to do something about the QB contracts spiraling out of control.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

And which team had the first overall pick and their choice of any player the year Watson was drafted? Oh yeah, it was the Cleveland Browns!

[Rusty Trombagent]

even by the nfl's trashy standards, this is extremely gross:

So does that mean if more allegations come out, or he shoots himself in the thigh at a night club, or he crashes his lambo and gets suspended, the guaranteed money is safe?

it means everyone knows he's gonna settle all the civil suits, and then he'll be suspended a few games by the nfl, and he wont lose a penny.

[dplank]

Baker not going to Houston?

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Judy Battista on the Watson trade on nfl.com: https://www.nfl.com/news/cleveland-brow ... rd-reality

Whilst acknowledging the 'disturbing' nature of Watson's alleged behaviour and that there 'will undoubtedly be public outcry over this trade' she basically says fans shouldn't be expected not to turn a blind eye because he's such a talented player and that because the NFL hasn't jettisoned Dan Snyder, a team owner, for his alleged offenses fans and the media 'shouldn't have to choose between baseline decency and winning a lot of games' when it comes to a mere player.

She's not wrong about how things are in the NFL, but her blasé acceptance of it is frankly disturbing especially coming from a woman given the nature of the accusations levied against Watson. So much for the 'Me Too' movement. Money, talent and winning are clearly more important than 'baseline decency' in US society. It's not an edifying message.

Don't get me wrong, as far as I'm concerned Watson is innocent until he's proven guilty. I just find the argument Battista is making to be as distasteful as the accusations Watson still faces.

[The Marshall Plan]

With all the consternation about Watson’s behavior what specifically is he accused of?

Paying women for sex favors or forced sexual acts?

If it’s paying women for sex I’m sorry but that’s the oldest profession in history. I’m not judging for that.

Forced sex then screw him. That’s an entirely different thing.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

It doesn’t seem like there is enough evidence to convict him which means he’s just an undesirable prick rather than a felon.
Lots of sports people fit into this category in my experience although circumstances are different in every case.

For me, I don’t see a problem with Browns fans cheering him on, none of us are perfect, no-one is fit to judge our behaviour within the law.

I understand why females may see it differently

[dplank]

With all the consternation about Watson’s behavior what specifically is he accused of?

Paying women for sex favors or forced sexual acts?

If it’s paying women for sex I’m sorry but that’s the oldest profession in history. I’m not judging for that.

Forced sex then screw him. That’s an entirely different thing.

Agree assuming I understand the accusations, which I believe were him getting massages then being rude / over the top about asking for a happy ending. Didn’t force sex on anyone, just made some of the women very uncomfortable. In that line of work I’m sure it happens a lot.

The pearl clutching is over the top IMO. Mike Vick this is not.

[Boris13c]

that is one fantastic contract Watson got ... just when I think I sort of have the NFL figured out in regards to fair compensation and salary cap impacts, something like this comes along to remind me I don't know shit about what these teams are doing or how they are doing it ... which is fine ... I can accept that reality

I think even after a year off, Watson is going to be a substantial upgrade for the Browns

not sure if he is going to be facing any NFL punishment ... as others have noted, most of the evidence has Watson painted as a sleazeball rather than a predator which I am guessing makes a difference on how the NFL looks at his situation ... then again, the NFL has not been consistent in their interpretations of events and punishments, so I guess we'll have to wait and see

[Moriarty]

With all the consternation about Watson’s behavior what specifically is he accused of?

Paying women for sex favors or forced sexual acts?

If it’s paying women for sex I’m sorry but that’s the oldest profession in history. I’m not judging for that.

Forced sex then screw him. That’s an entirely different thing.

Agree assuming I understand the accusations, which I believe were him getting massages then being rude / over the top about asking for a happy ending. Didn’t force sex on anyone, just made some of the women very uncomfortable. In that line of work I’m sure it happens a lot.

The pearl clutching is over the top IMO. Mike Vick this is not.

He's far from the worst human being to ever play in the NFL, for sure, if that's the standard you want to set.

At the same time, the accusations aren't as simple as "hey, I'll give you an extra $100 to blow me", either.

The specific accusations are wide-ranging but include descriptions of him exposing himself without consent, forcing women into sexual acts and making veiled threats.

The 22 active civil suits allege Watson forced two women to perform oral sex, ejaculated on three women and in front of three others, groped four women and kissed another woman unprompted upon arrival for a massage appointment. Eighteen of the 22 active suits accuse Watson of inappropriately touching women with his penis during massage therapy sessions.

Although the 22 suits filed to date share many similarities, only two include claims of sexual assault: Watson was said in both cases to have pressured women to perform oral sex during massages and was accused in one of also having grabbed a woman’s buttocks and vagina. The civil suits allege that Watson engaged in a pattern of lewd behavior with women hired to provide personal services, coercing them to touch him in a sexual manner, exposing himself to women he had hired for massages, or moving his body in ways that forced them to touch his penis. The incidents cited in the suits were said to have occurred from March 2020 to March 2021.

[Xee]

Agree, @Moriarty. If you read the detailed statements, it's not just about him being handsy on one occasion. It's about him trying it repeatedly on many occasions; he just never could understand that's not "okay" to do this just because they're masseuses.

Also, if you read the texts between masseuses you can see he had a reputation for this but they all knew there wasn't anything they could do about it:

https://itsgame7.com/new-troubling-desh ... merge/amp/

I somewhat stupidly asked in another thread why a lot of Browns fans were unhappy but just reading the links above made me understand. No, the guy isn't murdering people, but he's definitely a predator and I'm very glad the Bears never made an attempt to get him. Not sure if I could remain a fan if they did.

[Boris13c]

that's the first time I actually read the detailed charges, and they paint a very negative picture of him ... so how is forced oral sex not considered something criminal according to the grand jury?