Cleveland Browns: Did Team Give Up Too Much For Watson?

Well, the official word is the Cleveland Browns have landed Deshaun Watson. The exchange cost the team a significant number of draft picks and a truckload of money. Cleveland went all in for Watson to the tune of 3 first-round draft picks and a 5-year/$230 million guaranteed contract. As a team that was in a deep playoff run not too long ago, and needed to keep pace with the rest of the division, this was a smart move as a quick reaction. However, if you examine the long-term this could be a mistake.

The number one concern is the contract itself. Aaron Rodgers is considered one of the best in the NFL right now and his contract wasn’t as inflated. He’s consistently been a winner with multiple division championships and a Super Bowl ring to boot. Deshaun Watson has the ability but hasn’t exactly had the same luck with winning. Not that he can’t win, but he’s entering a very tough division where all four teams could be playoff contenders. He’s entering a conference where a 10 win team is often edged out of a wild card spot. Even with adding Watson, the Cleveland Browns still won’t be favored in the AFC behind teams like the Titans, Bills, or Chiefs.

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Then there’s the Super Bowl window. Sure, the Cleveland Browns spent plenty of resources this offseason trying to bring a title to Cleveland. With players like Watson and Amari Cooper there’s a good chance it can elevate them as contenders, but just how quickly? Say it takes a season or two for the Browns to fully reach their potential. With contracts of that size, it won’t be long until they run into the salary cap wall. If they can’t win a Super Bowl in that timeframe, they’ll have to shed some contracts of guys who can be key contributors. They’ll have Watson for the longer term, but they could easily be retooling 2-3 years down the road.

But three 1st round draft picks is the icing on the cake. The Cleveland Browns are no stranger to NFL Draft busts, so why not give those picks up and let them be busts elsewhere. The thought process behind it is Watson will keep them winning and the lower end of the first-round picks won’t be much better off than the second-round picks. The problem with that is, Cleveland has a history of bad drafts altogether. It puts pressure on them to go out and hit on every guy they draft. True the Los Angeles Rams just won a Super Bowl without having a first-round pick for a few years, but the Rams are a more complete football team. They were a team that knocked on the door a few times before finally being invited in.

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Deshaun Watson is a talent that will put backsides in seats on Sundays but the Cleveland Browns have an uphill battle. If they can’t navigate this properly, they just financed their entire future in an attempt to no longer be the butt of the joke in the NFL. Hopefully, for the fans that have suffered so much, it pays off.