Cleveland Browns: 3 cornerstone players to build around
By Greg Newland
Cornerstone Player No. 1 – Deshaun Watson
Before I get started, this article is based on football abilities. I know that Deshaun Watson has a lot of question marks tied to his name right now, but at the end of the day, we can’t deny his football abilities. Watson very well could miss a large part of the 2022 or 2023 season, but he has shown he can be the cornerstone piece of a franchise.
If the five-year $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed doesn’t show how much Berry believes in him, I don’t know what else will. The $55 million cap hit from 2023 through 2026 will likely be one of the largest in the league each season.
Watson only has four years of playing experience in the league, and while two of those seasons included him making the playoffs, his best statistical year was in 2020 when he was only 4-12 as a starter but had one of the worst rosters in the league. I don’t think anyone would argue that team wouldn’t have easily been 0-16 if they didn’t have Watson at quarterback.
In that season with a limited roster, Watson completed over 70 percent of his passes, threw for over 4,800 yards, and had 33 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. I’m sorry, this guy isn’t even comparable to Baker Mayfield, so please stop telling me the Browns didn’t really upgrade at the position.
You won’t hear me compare him to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or even Aaron Rodgers currently, but in that next echelon of NFL quarterbacks, Watson is at the top in my opinion.
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The huge contract right now may seem like a lot, but for a guy you can build your team around, it will seem average again in three years and six other quarterbacks singing huge deals.