2021-2022 NFL Season (1 Viewer)

[Jeffrey D]

If the rumors are true that Watson sits for the whole season, then what other choice do the Browns have but to bring him back next year, and hope the shit storm isn’t as severe as now? The fully guaranteed contract means they pay him if the league says he’s eligible to play. They have to stick with their current plan, and just absorb the slings and arrows.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I wonder if there is any type of morality clause in Watson's contract that would allow the Browns to terminate the contract? The NHL's San Jose Sharks enacted such a clause this past season to terminate their contract with Evander Kane.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I wonder if there is any type of morality clause in Watson's contract that would allow the Browns to terminate the contract? The NHL's San Jose Sharks enacted such a clause this past season to terminate their contract with Evander Kane.

The Browns ownership made a terrible decision and now they have to live with it. All of that draft capital they traded away for Watson.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Browns ownership made a terrible decision and now they have to live with it. All of that draft capital they traded away for Watson.

Yes, even if they could terminate the contract, the Browns would still have lost all those draft choices.

 

[Johnny Angell]

$4.5B?! That's crazy!

Ticket prices are about to increase in Denver.

A Walton buying the Broncos…does that mean he’s moving them to Little Rock? Just kidding.

 

[JohnRice]

FWIW, the Broncos sale was just announced as essentially a done deal.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

If the rumors are true that Watson sits for the whole season, then what other choice do the Browns have but to bring him back next year, and hope the shit storm isn’t as severe as now? The fully guaranteed contract means they pay him if the league says he’s eligible to play. They have to stick with their current plan, and just absorb the slings and arrows.

Yeah, I think the Browns have put themselves in a position where they have to try to get Watson on the field at some point. The NFL is stuck with having to cope with making a decision on a guy that is a serial sex offender that has no remorse over what he did, intends to do it again, and he and his lawyers have taken a position that there is no problem with this.

On top of that there is the problem of the fact that everybody says there could be more women to come because the indication is he kept doing this after 2020.

So, let's say the NFL suspends him and more comes out, now they have to consider what to do about that. Watson seems a guy that can't keep it in his pants so trouble is sure to follow. The way I see it the NFL has to suspend him for this season because they have to see what else may drop out of this guy's closet. Plus his lawyers claiming that there is no problem with asking massage therapists to perform a sex act puts the NFL in a bizarre position.

Remember Bob Kraft was arrested for having a massage therapist perform sex acts on him. He walked away from that with no punishment and bought his way out of that. So, in a way, the NFL does not think there is an issue with asking your massage therapist to give you a happy ending because even the owners do that.

This will be an exciting NFL season, the QB situation in the AFC is pretty great. I am sure the NFL wants the focus on that, not that the Browns gave a serial sex offender the biggest contract in the history of the NFL.

At this stage, I would expect the Browns starter this season to be Jacoby Brissett. He's a great back-up QB, probably will keep them in games, but I don't think the expectation with him in there will be Super Bowl or playoffs. So, this is another lost season for the Browns and then if Watson comes back in 2023, well, who knows what the state of things will be then.

I think the Browns were/are hoping that Watson gets no more than a 4 to 8 game suspension and there will be/is some fighting for that. Seems ridiculous that this would be what he gets when Tom Brady got 4 games for the amount of air in a ball.

This Watson thing has been a parade of stupid though so we will see how much longer the parade goes on.

Baker Mayfield must be laughing his ass off at this.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

FWIW, the Broncos sale was just announced as essentially a done deal.

Well, NFL teams don't often get sold so that sets a number for what you have to pay to buy one. Supposedly the NFL wants Dan Snyder to sell the Commanders. They no longer want him in the league. I wonder if seeing that kind of money paid for a franchise may make him interested in selling.

I know if I owned a franchise I would think about selling at that price.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Yes, even if they could terminate the contract, the Browns would still have lost all those draft choices.

It's a miserable time to be a Browns fan...but I mean, I suppose they know all about miserable.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The Browns ownership made a terrible decision and now they have to live with it. All of that draft capital they traded away for Watson.

I do kind of think they have doomed the franchise for many more years.

You have to think when you make a trade like that and give that much away, the idea is that trade will make you a Super Bowl contender, quickly and at least for a few years.

I don't think that trade will accomplish that in any way.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I do kind of think they have doomed the franchise for many more years.

You have to think when you make a trade like that and give that much away, the idea is that trade will make you a Super Bowl contender, quickly and at least for a few years.

I don't think that trade will accomplish that in any way.

IMO, that's to be determined. First off, I need to see how many games Watson is suspended for and how their fanbase responds to that suspension. Once that happens I need to see how the Browns play during his suspension. After the suspension is done with, I need to see Watson on the field of play. You're welcome to formulate your opinion on your timeline, but I'm going to wait and see before I share my thoughts as to whether that franchise is doomed for many years to come.

 

[Jeffrey D]

If Watson doesn’t get the Browns to a Super Bowl, the trade is a poor one.

 

[Robert Crawford]

If Watson doesn’t get the Browns to a Super Bowl, the trade is a poor one.

I wouldn't go that far, especially considering the Browns history in the SB era.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

IMO, that's to be determined. First off, I need to see how many games Watson is suspended for and how their fanbase responds to that suspension. Once that happens I need to see how the Browns play during his suspension. After the suspension is done with, I need to see Watson on the field of play. You're welcome to formulate your opinion on your timeline, but I'm going to wait and see before I share my thoughts as to whether that franchise is doomed for many years to come.

I agree that you can't determine how Watson impacts them on the football field until he is actually on the field. Until then he is mostly just a PR nightmare.

My assessment of doomed really is about what they gave up to get him, how they handled that whole situation, and that the brain trust in Cleveland based on this appear to be really poor decisionmakers. I do not think it makes Cleveland an attractive place to play either.

I doubt many players will be excited to go to Cleveland to play with a guy who appears to be the league's most famous and remorseless sexual predator. Granted, there are bad guys spread throughout the league and guys go to work with them daily but the QB is your team leader, your example setter, you most high profile player and the one that the media most wants to speak to after every game.

Not sure Watson is the guy you want for that job. Essentially, the way to go on him would have been to shut him down until all of his legal troubles were sorted out and they had something on paper that confirmed from him he was not going to do this anymore and if he did he would not get paid.

None of that happened. The Browns went crazy to sign him, they gave him boatloads of guarenteed cash, and have made him the face of their franchise. Good god, that looks awful and makes no sense.

I grant Watson looks like a talented player, racked up good stats, but he did not take his team to a Super Bowl in Houston and it is really questionable if he ever will in Cleveland. I get being seduced by the talent there but the person seems kind of repulsive.

I mean, it was not a secret the Browns were not thrilled with Baker Mayfield's behavior, they went ahead and said he was not an adult. He had his own sexcapades behind the Cheesecake Factory but those were not illegal nor a display of predatory behavior.

I am little baffled why they would replace him with a guy whose behavior screams sexual predator, particularly at a time when this kind of behavior will get you crucified in the media.

Really, strange choice that seems to indicate to me, a bad direction for this franchise.

He could step on the field and start winning games for the Browns. They have to be better than the Bengals and the Ravens for now. We will see how Kenny Pickett works out for the Steelers but they basically look like lock for last in the division this season unless Mitch Trubisky turns out to be the boost they needed.

Then looking around the AFC, many other teams look better than the Browns. The AFC West is stacked and Buffalo, I think, looks even better on paper for this season than they were last season.

 

[Malcolm R]

I mean, it was not a secret the Browns were not thrilled with Baker Mayfield's behavior, they went ahead and said he was not an adult. He had his own sexcapades behind the Cheesecake Factory but those were not illegal nor a display of predatory behavior.

Are we sure that ever happened? I see you repeat it over and over in this thread, but I've never seen any mention of it anywhere else, ever.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

If Watson doesn’t get the Browns to a Super Bowl, the trade is a poor one.

When you make a trade that huge, I think your expectation has to be this guy is going to take us to the Super Bowl. The AFC looks tough right now though, so even if Watson plays at a high level there are now a bunch of teams that can still beat you. Mahomes, Allen, and Herbert can outduel anybody. Bring a team back and crush you in the final seconds. Chances are you are going to have to get by these guys in the playoffs and at least one of them will be in the AFC Championship game. All three put on some mind blowing displays last season.

The entire AFC West looks like Super Bowl contenders. The Bills look like an awesome team. The Bengals look good and improved. The Dolphins may be able to play with other teams if Hill at WR really has an impact on Tua and that offense. The Titans are a tough grind it out team.

So, having Watson is a positive if he plays at a really high level and is in the same league as those QBs but with the current state of the AFC, he will have to play his ass off.

The Browns need Watson to play and to be awesome. Due to who the guy is, if he falters I think Browns fans will come down on him hard. He is not an easy guy to root for based on his behavior.

 

[TonyD]

Are we sure that ever happened? I see you repeat it over and over in this thread, but I've never seen any mention of it anywhere else, ever.

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[sleroi]

I was wondering the same thing.

One woman went on a sports radio show and claims it happened. Another woman called during the show and alleged the same thing. The story made the rounds of all the gossipy websites but as far as I know it was never confirmed nor investigated. It was pretty much disregarded as a nothing burger.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Are we sure that ever happened? I see you repeat it over and over in this thread, but I've never seen any mention of it anywhere else, ever.

Which part that the Browns were not happy with him and said he was not an adult or the stuff about him meeting women behind the Cheesecake Factory?

 

[TonyD]

Which part that the Browns were not happy with him and said he was not an adult or the stuff about him meeting women behind the Cheesecake Factory?

You know which part.