3 Options for the Cleveland Browns to replace Baker Mayfield in 2022
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns Replacement Option No. 1 – DeShaun Watson
The last player that could make sense, a guy like DeShaun Watson. While he’s facing some serious off-field accusations, it doesn’t sound like he will be federally charged with any crimes, it just now comes down to Roger Goodell and the NFL deciding if they want to suspend him.
Because of his desire to be out of Houston, the Texans have kept him off the active roster making it difficult for other teams to understand the full risk of trading for a guy like Watson.
On one side, the Texans have very little leverage as they have continued to not play him and Watson has voiced, he wants out.
However, if the Browns traded for him next offseason, Goodell could instantly come out and suspend him for the entire season. I would expect the league to come out with a little bit more clarity next offseason so Watson and the Texans can both move on.
This is an un-Berry move, that may be ridiculed in the media, but Watson is a guy that has proven he can win in the league. And during the two years where he was most successful, he was doing it with a poor offensive line, little run game, and only DeAndre Hopkins as a weapon on offense.
The Texans will likely be starting from scratch next year, and Mayfield is from Texas, maybe it would be the perfect homecoming to resurrect his career.
As mentioned before, I’ll continue to cheer for Mayfield and wish him nothing but the best. But the fact that we can’t stop discussing if he is the guy moving forward, tells me he likely isn’t the right guy.