The Cleveland Browns find themselves at a critical juncture as they head into their bye week, with General Manager Andrew Berry facing tough questions about the team’s future.
Berry’s media session, his first since training camp, came on Wednesday morning following the NFL trade deadline – timing that speaks volumes given the Browns’ current situation.
At 2-7 following a deflating 27-10 loss to the Chargers and Deshaun Watson sidelined with another season-ending injury, Berry found himself addressing the elephant in the room: the wisdom of the Watson trade.
When pressed on this matter, Berry maintained his focus on the present, as captured by Cleveland 19 News reporter Ashly Holder.
“I’m really not in reflection mode,” Berry stated. “I remember getting asked this about Dobbs last year – it’s not really my focus at this point in the year. Our focus is on finishing out the 2024 season, having the team play at a higher level, and we’ll get to those longer-term reflections at a later point.”
#Browns Andrew Berry on if the trade for Deshaun Watson was a good one: pic.twitter.com/PfrL6skOgJ
— Ashly Holder (@AshNoelleTV) November 6, 2024
The Watson situation has become increasingly complex for Cleveland. Even before his Achilles injury, the quarterback’s performance failed to meet expectations.
More concerning has been his limited availability – Watson has appeared in just 19 games across three seasons, a stretch marred by both injuries and an 11-game suspension in 2022 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy following multiple misconduct allegations.
The financial implications of moving on from Watson present another significant hurdle.
The Browns committed to a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, which they’ve already restructured twice.
While NFL teams have shown increasing willingness to absorb substantial dead-cap hits to part ways with unwanted quarterbacks, Watson’s contract represents uncharted territory.
For the Browns, already facing salary cap constraints heading into the offseason, any decision regarding Watson’s future carries massive financial implications.
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