Takeaways: Deshaun Watson settlement provides on-field clarity for Cleveland Browns
BEREA − Thursday brought on-the-field finality for the Browns. At least, that's what they are hoping.
That's not in any way, shape or form meant to absolve the Browns of their role in all of this. They accepted all that came with Deshaun Watson when they brought in the quarterback with more than 20 accusations by women of sexual misconduct or sexual assault against him.
So the public-relation hit they're taking, be it in Northeast Ohio or wherever else, is a self-inflicted one. But when it comes to strict clarity for their on-the-field product and its prospects for this season, the knowledge that it's at 11 games thanks to Thursday's settlement between Watson and the NFL is a good thing for the Browns.
Their decision, after all, was a football decision and a football decision only. So the only ruling that truly mattered to them was the one involving Watson's availability to play football.
"I don’t think we had any way of knowing," Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said Thursday of Watson's punishment. "I don’t think anybody knew how many games Deshaun might miss. We did not know definitively until today. I think it is important to remember that Deshaun is 26 years old and is a high-level NFL quarterback, and we are planning on him being our quarterback for a long time.”
Haslam's comment mirrors the way the Browns have approached the entire situation, right from the moment they traded for Watson. There's was a lot of not knowing − maybe about a lot of things − right up until there was a definitive answer provided to them.
Even then, the very next thought was about football. Specifically, what Watson can provide to the Browns over the long term, not just a few months.
The Browns, though, walked away Thursday at least finding clarity in Watson's availability for the 2022-23 season and beyond. That may be the biggest takeaway from the day.
However, here's a couple more from the settlement between Watson and the league.
A lot more now to Deshaun Watson's Houston return
At some point, Watson was going to have to play in Houston again. There were a lot of people who thought, once the NFL appealed the original six-game suspension, that wasn't going to happen this season.
A 12-game suspension, which is what many floated as the potential landing spot for the settlement, would've made that a certainty. It would've pushed it off at least a year to 2023, when the Browns are scheduled to go to Houston as part of the divisional rotation on the schedule.
Instead, by settling on 11 games, it didn't just virtually guarantee Watson would appear at NRG Stadium a year after he sat out a full season in a dispute with the Texans. It made that Dec. 4 return to Texas his return to the field.
Watson's first on-field appearance this season, in last week's preseason opener in Jacksonville, was greeted with substantial boos and even vulgar cheers. It will seem like a warm greeting compared to what awaits in December.
It's 'Jacoby B' instead of 'Jimmy G' for Cleveland Browns
The Browns traded for Watson on March 18. The very next day, they signed Jacoby Brissett to be, essentially, Watson's backup.
Which means, they signed him to be the guy who started while Watson was sidelined. That was true at six games, and General Manager Andrew Berry emphasized again on Thursday it was true at 11 as well.
“No. 1, we brought in Jacoby and we feel very good about Jacoby," Berry said. "We like what we have seen throughout the spring and we have liked what we have seen throughout the summer so we have a high degree of confidence in him. No different than any other position on the roster, we will continue to evaluate our team over the course of the camp, but really pleased with Jacoby."
The elephant in the room has been San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has been put on the trade block. Garoppolo has been to a Super Bowl and an NFC Championship Game in the past three seasons, but he's also coming off surgery on his right shoulder.
There has been a school of thought that if the suspension grew too long to where it ate up a majority of the season, the Browns might go after Garoppolo. Never say never, but it seems like the Browns, for now, are sticking with the same plan they had in March.
That plan: Brissett.
Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson settlement provides on-field clarity for Browns
