The Cleveland Browns signed Jameis Winston over Joe Flacco.
More often than not, Cleveland’s fans would’ve been happy to see their team choosing a former No. 1 pick who’s nine years younger, but that’s not the case here.
Some people questioned the Browns’ decision not to bring Flacco back after what he did for the team last season, going as far as to believe that they didn’t want him to be a threat to Deshaun Watson.
Apparently, ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo seems to feel that way.
He put the team on blast and claimed that this isn’t a good look, and asked who’s making the decisions for the Browns, wondering if it’s GM Andrew Berry, executive Paul DePodesta, owner Jimmy Haslam, or even Watson (via ESPN Cleveland on Twitter).
"Who in that building is calling these shots, is it Andrew Berry, is it Paul DePodesta, is it Jimmy Haslam?," – @TheRealTRizzo on Browns signing Jameis Winston over Joe Flacco… pic.twitter.com/YJUnzxTxAp
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) March 13, 2024
On the one hand, it makes sense that the team didn’t want to put Watson in an uncomfortable position, and Flacco could’ve been perceived as a legitimate competitor because of the way he played last season.
On the other hand, people shouldn’t read too much into this.
Winston is more mobile, more athletic, and nine years younger, and he’s a much better fit for Ken Dorsey’s offense than Flacco.
Perhaps Cleveland just liked Winston better, and they made the most of the opportunity to get him at a reasonable price.
At the end of the day, the Browns hope that Watson will be on the field and play at a high enough level for the backup quarterback to not even be a talking point anymore.
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