Deshaun Watson expected to meet with NFL again, decision possible by camp

The Cleveland Browns could know by June or July what punishment Deshaun Watson will face, although he could still meet with the NFL again

Deshaun Watson and the NFL already met to discuss a potential suspension for the Cleveland Browns quarterback.

Before Cleveland added Watson this offseason, it was already known he was facing a potential league suspension due to 22 allegations of sexual misconduct. When the move was made, all the front office could do was speculate how long they would be without their new starter.

However, recent news suggests the Browns will know in June or July how long Watson will be out. This comes from Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, who also said the league is likely going to want to meet with Watson again beforehand.

"“We should know what their position is initially sometime in June, and then everybody will figure out if there’s going to be a hearing about it or can people work things out, or whatever,” Hardin said via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “The only thing that’s certain is that they want to try to get everything done this summer — and earlier than later in the summer. Past that, we don’t really have any firm dates or possibilities.”"

Throughout this process, there have been a lot of guesses as to how long Watson will be out. Some suggest as few as four games while others say an entire season could be on the table.

Of course, if precedence means anything, the most likely outcome should be between six-to-eight games. While the magnitude of these accusations is unlike anything else we have seen recently, the league has typically gone six games (Ezekiel Elliott) or eight (Kareem Hunt) when there is no charge.

Browns protected if Deshaun Watson misses the first six-to-eight games

Should this be the case, Cleveland could end up treading water just fine. Their schedule is rather favorable early in the season and they do have a very capable No. 2 quarterback in Jacoby Brissett.

Knowing Watson could be out, the Browns added Brissett and Josh Dobbs to ensure they remain competitive even without Watson.

Brissett has 37 starts under his belt as well as 60 overall appearances. He has 7,742 yards passing with a 36-to-17 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Dobbs has far fewer appearances, playing in just six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He has 45 yards passing on 10-of-17 attenots. However, he has shown plenty of promise in the preseason and could be a decent second-string player behind Brissett during any suspension.

Either player would be a downgrade, but Cleveland has done what they can to protect themselves and now they just wait to see what the league will do.