Browns owner Jimmy Haslam admits
team 'took a big swing and miss' in trading for Deshaun Watson
[April 01, 2025]
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cleveland co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted
that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” with their 2022 trade
for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Haslam made the comments on Monday during a session with Browns
reporters at the league meetings in Florida.
“We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot
of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that
hole,” Haslam said. “Listen, I’ve said this I think numerous times,
Deshaun Watson was an entire organization decision and it ends with
(co-owner) Dee (Haslam) and I, so hold us accountable.”
The 29-year-old Watson has played in only 19 games since the Browns
acquired him from the Houston Texans in 2022 and signed him to a
five-year contract worth a fully guaranteed $230 million. Cleveland
sent five draft picks to the Texans, including three first-round
selections, to get the embattled quarterback.
Watson may miss the entire 2025 season after rupturing his right
Achilles tendon for the second time in three months in January. He
originally injured it during an Oct. 20, 2024, loss to the
Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2022, Watson missed the first 11 games because of a league
suspension. He made just six starts in 2023 before suffering a
season-ending shoulder injury and started seven last year before the
Achilles tendon injury.
Watson is 9-10 with Cleveland with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions
and a 80.7 passer rating.
The Browns have reworked Watson's contract twice since December.
Void years were added through 2030 to give them additional financial
flexibility to spread out dead money on the contract instead of
taking a massive hit in one season.
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Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam speak during an NFL
football training camp practice in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.,
Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, file)
Cleveland has insurance that protects the contract
and could get some cap relief from the NFL if he is out for the
season.
The Browns have the second pick in the upcoming NFL draft after
going 3-14 in 2024. They have hosted Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and
Miami’s Cam Ward — the top two quarterback prospects — and have the
33rd overall pick if they wait until the second round or want to
move up to get another first-round pick.
Haslam though is not saying the Browns need to take a quarterback
after Tennessee makes its selection to open the draft.
“I think the message is if the right person’s there, we’re going to
take him,‘’ Haslam said. “If not, we’ll figure it out for a year or
two until we get the right person. There’s good football players in
this draft and we’ve got to make sure we get the right ones for us.”
Besides Watson, the only other quarterback on Cleveland's roster is
Kenny Pickett, who was acquired from Philadelphia. The Browns had
Russell Wilson in for a visit before he signed with the New York
Giants.
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