After Watson reinjured his Achilles and underwent a second surgery, it
seems more likely that ever that he has played his last down in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND � I have to admit, I don't always like it when I'm right.

I knew on March 18, 2022, that the Cleveland Browns' acquisition of
Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans was a mistake.

But I certainly didn't think it was going to be THIS bad.

With Friday's news that the Browns' $230 million quarterback reinjured his
Achilles and underwent a second surgery, it seems more likely that ever
that Watson has played his last down in Cleveland.

Due to injuries and suspension, Watson played in a grand total of 19 games
during his three seasons here. Prior to rupturing his Achilles in Week 7
against Cincinnati, the 29-year-old had not thrown for 200 yards or more
in any of his 2024 starts. He was one of the lowest-rated passers in the
entire NFL.

Really with the exception of the second half of the Ravens game in 2023,
when he completed all 14 passes in leading the Browns to a 33-31 win,
Watson has showed virtually no flashes of the form that made him one of
the NFL's top quarterbacks in Houston since he's been here.

While we certainly wish Watson all the best in his recovery and
rehabilitation, it's important to reflect for a few moments on just how
badly this trade hurt the Browns.

THE PRICE OF WATSON
Here's how I started my column on the day the Browns went all-in on
Deshaun Watson:

"Yes, the Browns have a franchise quarterback. Yes, Watson is incredibly
gifted and can put up video game numbers with this offense.

"But at what price?

"That's what I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. And I'm not
just talking about money."

Of course there was the tremendous price that came with giving Watson a
guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. It was the most guaranteed
money ever given to an NFL player.

A player who, let's remind everyone, sat out the previous season.

If you're scoring at home, the Browns are still on the hook for two more
seasons and $92 million in salary after this year. The salary cap
implications are even worse.

There's also the price in draft currency. In making the deal for Watson
with the Houston Texans, the Browns became only the second team in NFL
history to trade THREE first-round draft picks in a deal. The Browns also
gave up a third-round pick and two fourth-rounders.

As CBS Sports laid out, here's what Houston did with the assets it
acquired from the Browns for Watson:

2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, starting defensive end Will
Anderson Jr.
Starting wide receiver Tank Dell
Starting left guard Kenyon Green
Starting free safety Calen Bullock
Starting cornerback Kamari Lassiter
Wide receiver John Metchie III
Linebacker Christian Harris
Running back Dameon Pierce
Linebacker Jamal Hill
Tight end Cade Stover
Plus, the Texans picked up an extra 2025 second-round pick, via the
Vikings, because of the compensation they received from the Browns.

Houston went from 3-13-1 in 2022, to an AFC South Division crown and a
wild-card win over the Browns last season, to another division title here
in 2024. They're on their way up.

The Browns, dealing with the repercussions of what many are calling the
worst trade in NFL history, feel like they are light years away from being
a playoff contender again.

Signing Watson to that contract and dealing away those draft picks would
have been worth it if the Browns had gotten the player who was a three-
time Pro Bowler and 2020 NFL passing yardage leader in Houston.

Clearly, that's not the case.

But it's not just the lack of return on the largest investment on a player
ever made by an NFL team that's the problem. It's the heavy baggage that
would fill up an entire 767 jumbo jet.

Watson sat out the entire 2021 season amid frustration with the direction
of the Texans and revelations about accusations of sexual misconduct.
Since 2021, Watson has faced a total of 27 lawsuits accusing him of sexual
assault, harassment, or other misconduct. Of those cases, 24 have now been
settled and another was dropped by the plaintiff, while two remain
pending.

A Texas grand jury in 2022 declined to indict Watson, which prompted a
bidding war for his services. He had a no-trade clause, with the Browns
included on that list.

However, money buys you friends. The Browns figured out how much money it
would take to change Watson's mind.

Nine days after the grand jury's decision, the Browns and Texans completed
the deal.

Let's be clear: When the Browns traded for him, Watson had 22 lawsuits
against him, so it's not like anything came out of left field after he
joined the team. They knew there were question marks about Watson's
character.

Yet they were so desperate to solve the quarterback dilemma that has
plagued this franchise since it returned to the NFL a quarter-century ago
that they were willing to look past Watson's obvious red flags and the
fact that he hadn't played for a season to give him the largest guaranteed
contract in pro football history.

Even before the trade, I felt that Watson in a Browns uniform divided fans
into two camps: the ones who want to win at all costs against the ones
that were disgusted by the allegations made against by roughly two-dozen
women.

Now, it seems all Browns fans are just fed up.

All the goodwill the Browns organization had from last year's miraculous
playoff run with Joe Flacco is gone, as the trickle of discontent that I
sensed when the season started turned into a waterfall of apathy. Friends
of mine that are Cleveland fans were telling me that they'd rather do the
chores than watch this team play on Sundays.

Heck, even I chose going to Costco and braving the holiday shopping rush
over watching the end of one of the team's losses in December. The $1.50
hot dog and Pepsi is much more satisfying than seeing a shell of a Browns
roster compete.

The Watson trade has been a spectacular failure for the Cleveland Browns.
Someone has to be held accountable.

WHO IS TO BLAME?
According to Browns GM Andrew Berry during a press conference in October,
when it came to the decision to go all-in for Deshaun Watson in 2022, "all
of us were on board. Everyone's on board and obviously with a big
commitment in that regard, that's always going to be the case."

Here's what I wrote on the night the Watson trade was completed in 2022:

"Whether this move to get Watson was a product of Jimmy Haslam's
desperation to win now, or not, this trade will ultimately decide the
fates of head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry.
Remember, Baker Mayfield wasn't their guy, he belonged to John Dorsey and
Hue Jackson.

"The pressure is going to be turned up to volcano heat in Berea. Every
move that Stefanski makes with Watson and the offense will be under close
scrutiny, while Berry will be tasked with putting the right pieces in
place around the franchise quarterback, despite limitations of salary and
draft picks.

"This was a move made to go to the Super Bowl, something the Cleveland
Browns have never done.

"And if it doesn't work out, we know what will happen next. Because you
can't fire the owners."

The funny thing is, by not firing Stefanski or Berry, I think Jimmy Haslam
has sent a clear message as to who is at fault here. So he's giving his
guys another chance to dig this franchise out of a pit.

Honestly, I don't know if the Watson debacle can be blamed on one person.
Probably not. Instead, I look at the Watson trade as an institutional
failure.

The system broke down.

Frankly, the person most responsible for that system would seem to me to
be the guy who is also the most mysterious person in the Browns hierarchy:
Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta.

While coaches and general managers have come and gone over the last eight
years, DePodesta has managed to remain entrenched in the Browns
organization while working remotely from California.

No one can put their finger on exactly what the man does with his
analytical computations, but everyone understands his significance to the
Haslams. DePodesta seems to be the guy who has the last word with Browns
ownership before important decisions are made.

There's no way in the world the Watson deal happens without DePodesta's
sign-off. None.

That said, if the Haslams really are going to give this regime a mulligan
for the 3-14 season, they need to make sure to give their staff room to do
their jobs.

Because this franchise is going to have a hard enough time getting out
from under this colossal failure.

MOVING FORWARD
Since 1999, no one has held the position of Browns general manager longer
than Andrew Berry. As with Stefanski, Berry can make the argument that no
regime has been more successful than his, with the Browns having made two
playoff appearances during his five years.