Like all NFL teams, the Cleveland Browns want to make history, but only in a good way. Unfortunately, one of their biggest moves is still considered a massive misstep and one of the worst in all of sports history.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Lee Escobedo recently put together a list of the worst trades in sports this century, and the Browns made the cut. Their trade for Deshaun Watson was ranked fourth, just behind other stunning choices like the Dallas Mavericks moving Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The Browns’ desperation to find a franchise quarterback led them to trade for Watson despite his off-field issues, which could haunt them for years to come. The volume of picks the Browns gave up and the fully guaranteed contract they gave Watson made it arguably the worst NFL trade in recent memory, which is why we have it in the top five here,” Escobedo wrote.
A Franchise-Defining Misstep That Still Haunts Cleveland
Even though a few years have passed, the shock of this trade is still immense for many fans, who look back at the haul that Cleveland gave away and what little they received in return. The fact that this all happened as Watson faced very serious off-field claims makes it even worse.
Because of his legal and health problems, the Browns haven’t seen much of Watson, who has only appeared in 19 games since 2022. It has gotten so bad that even Browns ownership has admitted that the trade was a “swing and a miss.”
The Watson move wasn’t just damaging to the team’s success; it was also detrimental to the goodwill of fans. There was a loss of trust between the Browns and the fans that has yet to be fully healed. For many, the repercussions of the trade continue to overshadow any hope of a turnaround.
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