Deshaun Watson could only watch from the sidelines at NRG Stadium in January. He was rehabbing from a season-ending shoulder injury when the Houston Texans defeated the Cleveland Browns 45-14 in the Wild Card Round of the 2023 playoffs.
When he left the stadium, he saw fans cheering for the same franchise from which he had wanted a move in January 2021. At the time, Watson’s trade request appeared to be detrimental to the team. Three years later, the assets acquired in the trade have the Texans on the verge of title contention.
Houston and the Browns completed their blockbuster trade on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, with the Texans selecting cornerback Kamari Lassiter (No. 42 overall) and safety Calen Bullock (No. 78 overall).
Since the March 2022 deal with Cleveland, general manager Nick Caserio and his staff have never discussed Watson’s exit. His goal was to optimize assets in the hopes of developing a competitive club in the future.
“We’re just adding football players to the team with the opportunities that we get, regardless of what trade took place,” Caserio said in a statement. “At the end of each year, you have the ability to add players to your roster. “There is no specific formula.”
The Watson deal resulted in the acquisition of a large number of Houston’s cornerstone players, including reigning Defensive Player of the Year Will Anderson Jr. and second-year receiver Tank Dell.
Three years after Watson’s trade request, the Texans are poised to challenge for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Browns, on the other hand, have had limited experience since signing the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
Because o
f injuries and an 11-game suspension, Watson has yet to play a whole season for the Browns. When Watson got on the field, he looked nothing like the quarterback fans inside NRG Stadium had cheered for during his four-year stint in Houston.
In addition to Watson, the Texans sent a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Browns. Cleveland packaged Houston’s pick to include in the transaction that brought Jerry Jeudy to the organization from the Denver Broncos.
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