This was somewhat of an anti-climatic announcement by the Cleveland Browns as it came two days after the shocking news was revealed that Deshaun Watson was being traded to the Browns.
OFFICIAL: We have acquired 3-time Pro Bowl QB Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Texans
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
With this announcement, the Browns officially released the specifics of the trade that ushers in the Deshaun Watson era of Cleveland Browns football.
Upon playing his first game, Watson will become the 32nd Browns quarterback to play at least one game for the team since 1999.
What The Browns Are Getting
To recap, the Browns are getting Watson and a 2024 fifth-round pick.
The Texans will receive one first-round pick in each of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 NFL Drafts.
They also get a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Official Announcements Now Released From Both Teams
The Texans announced the trade on Friday after the news broke.
We have agreed to trade QB Deshaun Watson and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for a 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick and 2024 fourth-round pick.
Statement from GM Nick Caserio:
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) March 18, 2022
Both the Browns and Texans are ready to move forward, and both organizations believe that they will have improved rosters as a result of it.
Conclusion
This is one of those monumental trades that it will take years to figure out which team benefitted the most from it.
It is very different from the legendary Dallas Cowboys trade of Herschel Walker to Minnesota which contributed to Dallas’s Super Bowl successes in the 1990s.
At that time, there was no free agency so the Cowboys had to go to drastic measures to get better quickly.
https://twitter.com/Taintnastyyy/status/1504913750821900295
Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff swapping teams in 2021 does not compare either.
There are many more unknowns associated with this trade than the aforementioned ones.
To begin with, Watson has not played an NFL game since January 3, 2021.
One other consideration regarding Deshaun Watson. The last time he took a snap in an NFL game was 1/3/21. Unclear what impact the time off the field will have.
— Melanie Friedlander (@Girlsurgeon) March 11, 2022
Will there be rustiness when he gets back on the field?
And when will he get back on the field?
Deshaun Watson still faces a potential suspension. Ben Roethlisberger was suspended six games (reduced to four) despite not being charged in 2010. However, there’s a chance that the NFL will wait until the civil cases are resolved.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 11, 2022
We do not know when or if the NFL is planning to suspend Watson, but it seems more likely than not that he will serve some type of suspension.
Watson’s arrival in Cleveland will dominate the NFL headlines for the entire 2022 season; this is just the beginning.
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