The Browns’ decision to trade three-first round picks, a third-round pick and two fourth-round picks to the Texans for Deshaun Watson, and then give Watson the biggest guaranteed contract in NFL history, was a disaster. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam knows that.
Haslam spoke to reporters at the league meeting today and said that he accepts that the ultimate blame falls on him and his wife as the owners of the team.
“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun. We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole. [The trade] was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee and I, so hold us accountable,” Haslam said, via Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.
Haslam certainly does deserve to be held accountable for the sorry state of his franchise, and his comments raise the question of what kind of relationship the Browns will have with Watson going forward. Watson is still on the roster, but he’s unlikely to play at all in 2025, both because of his torn Achilles and because he has been awful on the field and the Browns desperately need better quarterback play.
Ultimately, all Haslam can do now is support his football people as they attempt to dig their way out of the big hole they’re in after their big swing and miss. It won’t be easy given the draft picks and salary cap space they wasted on Watson.
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