The Cleveland Browns attempted to end decades of defeat almost two years ago when they acquired three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson.
He has underperformed and hasn’t even come close to being the near-elite talent he was with the Houston Texans, so that investment hasn’t paid off.
Many believe Cleveland erred greatly in trading for him because of his poor play and the 11-game ban he received in 2022 for dozens of alleged incidences of sexual misconduct.
In fact, Mike Tannenbaum, a former executive with the New York Jets, stated on ESPN’s “Get Up” that Watson should be traded to the New York Giants by the Browns in exchange for Daniel Jones and a second-round draft pick.
Watson led the NFL in passing yards in his final season with Houston. He also threw 33 touchdown passes, completed 70.2 percent of his pass attempts, and had a low interception percentage.
However, he has looked like someone who might not even be a good backup quarterback for the Browns.
Midway through the season, he had a shoulder injury that ended his career. But, in his absence, Cleveland managed to win some games, largely thanks to the excellent play of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who came out of near retirement to guide them on a winning run of four games.
Jones, on the other hand, has never been a great passer and was limited to just six games this season before tearing his ACL.
Nevertheless, the Browns advanced to the postseason for just the third time since their return in 1999, despite the absence of Watson and standout running back Nick Chubb, who had a serious injury in Week 2 that ended the season.
But if they don’t deal with Watson, as Tannenbaum suggests, they will both need to get back to their previous level if they hope to make the playoffs the following season.
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