DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Will Watson be the Browns starting QB this season..?

Probably not. Get ready for another lost season.

I have no idea but I just listen to the ks press conference and what a cluster. I feel very sorry for him

As depressing as it is, it's probably time to revive the Brissett thread from about three months back.

I am guessing at best we may recover some money, but that is a long shot. We've managed to go from Contender to Read Ender really really quick.

1. I can’t see the NFL allowing him to play in the 2022 season.

2. The civil law suits will probably take care of 2023 if he don’t make a settlement.

3. As it stands with the new information coming from the NYT there is a big probability that he will face new legal actions from the prosecution.

4. In a best case scenario the Browns can void the contract with Watson.

5. In a dream scenario the Browns can void the deal with the Texans.

The million dollar question is who will be kicked out of the revolving door first. Berry or DePodesta?

Last year the Browns were 2-0 with Keenum starting, and had one of, if not the best drives of the season with him under center. I think they will be just fine with Brissett starting.

Short answer: no.

The league’s hand is getting forced by Watson’s refusal to proactively make this go away. So they have to make this go away and not come back until it’s over. Throw the book and reduce it later if gets it all gets settled. That could be years if he continues to dig in his heals.

The idea of the deal itself being voided I suspect is fantasy. I’m no lawyer and not privy to anything but I suspect it would take a real preponderance of evidence that they knew stuff that would have changed other teams’ minds and they didn’t pass it on, and further, the Browns are on public record to have “done their own homework”, lol. Proving that the team brass knew stuff is hard to do. You have to have tangible proof, dated emails, texts, that sort of thing. And I’m not sure how much the Texans were required to disclose anyway. It’s not like the Browns (and everyone else) didn’t know there was a way more than 22 girls out there. Plus, the texans would sue immediately. I don’t know, I just don’t see this shaking out.

Voiding the contract is something else. That’s a business decision. It comes down to 2 things in my mind. Do they think it’ll be much longer than a year, maybe 2 before this all gets settled? Are the Browns going to have to pay him to sit if it goes into next year and beyond? If it’s a binary decision: huge guaranteed dollars to sit next year and beyond OR void the deal now… that’s the call. They seem really lousy at calling things lately and that one is hard to call.

It would make everyone’s life a hell of a lot easier if he and his team just settled as much as possible as fast as possible. That’s literally the only way I see him playing this year.

I don't think we exactly know the inner workings surrounding the chase of Watson. Jimmy is not taking the fall so you can count him out. Another thing, the Browns made many statements that they did their homework on Watson. Who did the homework? It certainly wasn't Jimmy H. so who did the homework and fed him the information to sell going after Watson? That's who will eventually be the fall guy or guys. That certainly puts Berry on the hot seat first and foremost. But there's other considerations.

This all started with a disagreement between Mayfield and Stefanski. The decision was then made to try to upgrade the position. To think that the Browns will stay pat with Brissett as the starter would go against everything the Browns have been building toward the last 3 years. With no 1st round picks and what otherwise would be considered a competitive team, do you really think the Browns are going to go into the season with no Watson for who knows how long and/or a voiding of the contract with Brissett being the best they can field in 2022?

They also have Mayfield on the trading block. That's not going to get the Browns an upgrade at the position by trading him but the fences are broken. Can they be mended? That's a talk that has to happen behind closed doors with Jimmy H. If Mayfield was to stay (of course the Browns could try to force him since he's under contract but would be a bad idea IMHO), you can bet that Stefanski would have to be an immediate replacement for Baker to stay and most likely Berry for the Watson mess. I would also suspect that a new deal would also have to be part of the package. Or they could go with Brissett, fire Berry immediately, fire Stefanski after the season bombs because of the high end talent he's had on the team and didn't win, and go into 2023 with a new coach, no QB, no 1st round draft picks and a team aging to rebuild to where they are today. Stay tuned, there's going to be some wild action in Cleveland and it's not starting out well.

Really starting to wonder if Watson will ever play a down for the Browns. The more that is learned about the lawsuits and what Watson allegedly did, the more I think he really shouldn't.

Mayfield will not be at minicamp.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...mp;cvid=e60dab50f5bd42f3b78e8b8a13c113fc

I say Berry or Stefanski.

Mark Madden: Browns' decision to sign Deshaun Watson looks worse every day

https://triblive.com/sports/mark-ma...gn-deshaun-watson-looks-worse-every-day/

It's been known to happen that some people get F's on their homework even when they do it. That seems to be the case here. I thought anyone who felt the 22 accusations would be the end of it were naive. I felt anyone who thought that Buzzbee was basing his lawsuits simply on "what we knew at the time" were naive. I felt quite sure more and more information would come to the surface as time passed. A steady drip.

As time has passed this is what has happened. The more that comes out the more posters it seems realize that this thing goes much further than they had expected or wanted to believe. It gives me no pleasure to see this all unfold. I had my reasons for feeling as I did and I still do now. Everyone else is left to form their own conclusions as thing continues to unfold.

What amazes me the most I would say is the unbridled enthusiasm so many fans had while seemingly acting as though "getting a great QB" was all there was to this story. That nothing else mattered. How this story wasn't directly involved in the football side of this team. How their excuses were questioning that these women were liars and their lawyer was a scum bag was their rationalization. Sometimes coming from people I thought knew better than that.

It's far from over. And no, I do not see watson being the Browns starter. I don't see Baker being the Browns starter. Brissett will be the Browns starter. And the poor homework job by Haslam is why. After all that has transpired with Haslam since purchasing this team, the fact that the fan base believed that BS about some deep investigation and doing his homework amazed me too.

Baker Mayfield is never playing for the Browns again no matter what happens

The Cleveland Browns continue to hold onto Baker Mayfield as the 2022 season draws closer and there are seemingly no takers for the former first-overall pick. The rest of the NFL appears content to sit back, watch the Browns implode and enjoy the show.

The plan in Cleveland was simple from the start. They landed Deshaun Watson, who was not supposed to be the franchise quarterback. Veterans Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs were signed as backups, completing the quarterback depth chart.

Yet obviously the simplicity of it all has faded away with the ongoing allegations against Deshaun Watson. A 24th civil lawsuit has been filed, featuring even more disturbing allegations featuring sexual misconduct and harassment. His 2022 status remains in serious doubt as the NFL decides on punishment.

This has created a narrative in the sports world of Mayfield sticking around and leading the team in 2022. He is still under contract on his fifth-year option and could realistically step in and get his old job back. The only problem with this narrative is that there is zero chance of it happening.

Baker Mayfield and the Browns are past the point of no return

There is one glaring problem when discussing a potential return for the quarterback. There was a real war of words fought between the franchise and player when the Browns were pursuing Watson.

No one will forget when a report leaked saying the Browns felt Mayfield wasn't mature enough to lead the franchise. The quarterback put in a trade request, gave an interview about feeling disrespected, and the rest is history.

There was also no public reconciliation between the two sides. The team signed three quarterbacks and left no room for the former first-overall pick to return even in the wildest of scenarios. Signing Brissett signalled the backup plan in case Watson missed any amount of time.

he quarterback of any football team is supposed to be the unquestioned leader. He needs the respect of his teammates and of the entire organization. The Browns openly gave up on Mayfield and dragged him through the media. There is no going back from that as a return would be far too awkward for both parties.

Fans must also remember that Mayfield is in a contract year. If the Browns have no plans to keep him around beyond 2022, playing him will not help the future of the franchise. Any struggles he would face would only lead to further turmoil and potentially a very ugly situation.

The Browns knew what they were getting into with Watson. At this point, while a suspension is likely, nothing is certain. Yet what seems clear is that there is no spot on the team for Mayfield. That is true in terms of general cohesion and the 53-man roster as a whole.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/bak...2F16-hWNB5DJZEXKstzkEt7nne5aLNoRMvQvM-lg

The 🤡 echo chamber ... teil 2

j/c...

I wouldn't go that far, but he did have some decent games with the Colts and I think he'll win some games for the Browns. We do have some players. I'm still holding a thread of hope that we can get a half season or so with DW.

The Browns have a talented roster, jfan. However, the AFC is loaded w/excellent teams and big-time QBs. No way are they winning w/out Watson.

I would also like to add that I wish a couple of posters would stop misrepresenting what others have been saying regarding Watson. Stating things like letting the legal system decide things and not choosing to assign guilt or innocence in the court of public opinion is far different than what a couple of posters keep saying. Of course, that will become the reality because they will say it over and over and over and over. Kinda like mac's articles where the same news is posted multiple times by different outlets. That makes it more real, ya' know?

Anyway, I'm still very depressed. I was hoping for the best but it's looking very bad right now and it will probably get worse.

My thinking was that we might be okay for 5 - 6 games at most with Brissett (especially with our schedule at the very beginning of the season).

But everything would have to go perfectly around him in terms of injuries, defense, STs, WRs really stepping up, etc, etc.

How often have we seen that?

A whole season with Brissett - I don't think so.

jmho

You threw your eggs in his basket (dw) over and over and over. You dissed Mayfield, over and over and over and over and over.

Look where we are now? Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Want an "adult" in the room? We get Brisset. Watson isn't playing this year.

The Browns screwed the pooch - alienating the qb they had, throwing picks and money at a guy that won't play.

And that leaves Garret, Clowney, Ward, Chubb, Hunt, Johnson, etc............sitting on the can.

So much for your hero.

Nope, not going to lower myself to your level. This will be the last time I respond to you.

Sorry Arch, I don't think that at all.

And that is your right.

Browns dumped on a qb, thinking they could get a better qb, albeit with baggage. Where are the Browns now?

Vers was all in, 100%, on DW, going so far as to say "finally, we have a qb", amongst other innuendos, all while defending DW.

I don't think we dumped on Baker at all, and I liked Baker. I would have been happy if we had kept him, but I was also in favor of Watson.

Anyway, it is what it is and we will just have to wait to see how this all works out. No sense in me getting all worked up until I know what it is I need to get worked up over.

Thanks, it's amazing how much time is spent trashing the opinions of other posters. Like that is going to solve the situation. LOL

Are you the pot, or the kettle?

j/c….

Thanks for the video. We do have talent on this team and Stefanski is a very good coach. We'll see...

probably not. 24 cases. and counting...

I just wonder who we hired to do our “due diligence”.

IMO if it's proven that DW and the Texans were not truthful about all they knew then the league should null and void the deal. I know there are a lot of factors involved but that would be the right thing to do.

Isn't Berry and the FO on record as saying that the due diligence amounted to talking to Watson and his lawyer since they weren't able to talk to the defendants?

A five month effort of doing due diligence and they only talked to the one side..... I'm thinking that there's probably some smoke that's been blown about.

Sounds like the perfect stage for a lot of conformation bias. Add the fact that it seems Hardin had the DA "in the bag" and it all smelled like roses after the decision to decline charges. One could say we've been "duped" but you have to weigh the uncertainty of only hearing one side of the story when making a critical decision. It will be interesting to see what shakes out now that Buzbee has called out the Texans for being aware and enabling.