CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns’ interest in Deshaun Watson is hardly a secret and they are apparently willing to sell their soul to land the troubled quarterback.
They will have their opportunity to meet with and recruit Watson Tuesday afternoon in Houston.
Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network first reported the scheduled meeting late Monday night.
Browns executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry along with head coach Kevin Stefanski will try to convince Watson to waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland.
It is unclear if Browns ownership, which includes Dee and Jimmy Haslam as well as JW Johnson, will also join Berry and Stefanski in Houston for the meeting.
Watson met with officials from the Saints and Panthers Monday.
Of the three teams, sources indicated to 92.3 The Fan that Watson believes the Browns roster positions him best to win immediately.
The Texans are reportedly seeking at least three first-round draft picks for the troubled quarterback who escaped indictment on Friday from a grand jury on accusations of sexual misconduct stemming from at least eight criminal complaints against him.
Still, Watson is being sued in criminal court by at least 22 women who accuse him of inappropriate sexual behavior during massage treatment appointments including touching them without consent, kissing and one complaint goes as far to say that Watson forced her to perform oral sex.
Prior to meeting with the Browns, Watson will be deposed in at least two of the civil suits Tuesday.
Watson, selected 12th overall by the Texans in the 2017 NFL Draft following a trade with the Browns for the pick, requested a trade following the 2020 season.
Watson did not play last season because of the trade request and with the sexual assault and harassment allegations hanging over him.
Although Watson seems to have evaded criminal prosecution, he may not escape discipline from the NFL office, but a potential suspension and the negative reaction – especially from women and victims of sexual assault, are risks the Browns clearly are willing to take.
On the field, Watson, who signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension before the 2020 season, has proven himself to be a sensational player.
A three-time Pro Bowler since suffering a torn ACL his rookie year, Watson has completed over 67.8% of his passes and thrown for 14,539 yards with 104 touchdowns and just 36 interceptions in 54 games. He has also rushed for 1,677 yards and 17 touchdowns while holding a 28-25-0 record as a starter.
In 2020, Watson led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards.
The Browns appear to hope that impending addition of four-time Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper will entice Watson to choose them. Cleveland agreed to acquire Cooper, who has caught for at least 1,000 yards in five of his first seven seasons, from Dallas Saturday for a fifth-round pick and a swap of sixth-round selections.
Cleveland’s interest in Watson is also an indication of Berry’s desire to upgrade from Baker Mayfield, selected first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Mayfield struggled through the 2021 season after suffering and playing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and his first four years in the NFL have been uneven and complicated by injury or organizational turmoil, including three different head coaches and an interim coach.
Mayfield has completed 61.6% of his passes for 14,125 yards with 92 touchdowns. His 56 interceptions are the most in the NFL since 2018. In 59 regular season starts, which tie him with Tim Couch for the fifth-most in team history, Mayfield is 29-30.
The Browns, who were eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs in the 2020 season, were among the teams thought to be Super Bowl contenders last season but they finished a disappointing 8-9 and failed to make the playoffs.