5 surprises from Week 1 of Cleveland Browns training camp

1. Deshaun Watson has support around Berea

The decision on how long Deshaun Watson would be suspended was announced on Monday morning. After weeks of deliberation, Judge Sue L. Robinson handed down a six-game ban for Watson.

He’s scheduled to return in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens but can practice a couple of weeks before then. Also, since he wasn’t suspended for an entire year, he’s allowed to continue to work out with Cleveland during training camp and the preseason.

After the announcement was made, there was no shortage of outrage across the nation. Sports shows, talk shows, and social media were on fire with criticism of the entire process. Many felt Watson receiving a six-game ban while someone such as Calvin Ridley was kicked out for a year for gambling was a miscarriage of justice.

However, Robinson put the honus on the league. She pointed to some flaws in their policy as well as their desire to often change the rules to fit the punishment rather than write clear and defined rules before a violation is committed. The league can still appeal the decision and they would probably receive a lot of praise for dropping the hammer on Watson for his sexual misconduct accusations.

While all of this is true, Watson found out over the past week that he has a lot of support in Berea. Before the decision was made, he would take the field to warm applause and there was never a shortage of fans trying to secure his autograph. That continued on Monday as fans cheered his entrance and again lined up for a chance to meet the new quarterback in Cleveland.

On top of the fans, Watson received a written vote of support from team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam.

Watson is not a popular person right now but he has plenty of support in Berea, which has been seen over the past week.