The Cleveland Browns have certainly had a hectic offseason. They dealt with a trade demand from Myles Garrett, re-signed Garrett, traded the No. 2 overall pick of the NFL Draft and ultimately drafted two quarterbacks, including Shedeur Sanders.
For a team that entered the offseason with very minimal financial flexibility, the Browns certainly stole a lot of headlines, but their best move of the last couple of months may not have been a signing or a draft pick; it may have been an admission.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox published a piece where he broke down every NFL team’s offseason, and for Cleveland, he felt the club’s most significant decision was what it finally said about quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“Arguably the best thing the Cleveland Browns have done over the last couple of years was finally admitting that Deshaun Watson isn’t going to solve the franchise’s quarterback woes,” Knox wrote.
Knox was of course referring to owner Jimmy Haslam’s comments on the failed Watson trade, calling it a “big swing and miss.”
Watson is still under contract through 2027, but Cleveland added four quarterbacks this offseason, including veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco in addition to rookies Dillon Gabriel and Sanders.
Watson tore his Achilles midway through the 2024 campaign, effectively putting an end to his run as Browns signal-caller. He had thrown for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in seven starts last season, and he made just 19 starts overall during his first three seasons in Cleveland.
Haslam’s admission was certainly painful, but it was definitely an important step for the future.
