Somewhat unsurprisingly, but still disappointingly, the Cleveland Browns will roll with Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback. Whether he finishes the season in that role, however, might be an entirely different story.
The Browns overhauled their offense this offseason, especially up front, and brought in an offensive guru in Todd Monken. Unfortunately, there aren't many reasons for excitement with one of the main players to blame for the team's offensive shortcomings, Watson, being back under center.
While things should still be better than they were over the last two years of the Kevin Stefanski era, Watson's presence there will undoubtedly hurt some of the playmakers' stock.
Deshaun Watson's limitations threaten to hold back some of the Browns' brightest young talent
1. Denzel Boston - WR
Denzel Boston has been one of the main talking points in Berea this offseason. Even during joint practices, Buffalo Bills beat writers seemed in awe of his physicality and ability to manhandle opponents to create separation.
Now, he'll work with a quarterback who has completed 61.2 percent of his passes and averaged a whopping 177.1 passing yards per game in Cleveland. He averaged 5.3 yards per attempt in 2024.
Sure, playmakers make plays, but Boston needs someone to get him the ball.
Boston looks like a prototypical boundary receiver, and he has an insane catch radius to make any quarterback look good. Doing that with a check-down king will be a tough ask.
While he may average double-digit targets and catches, Boston's yard totals will likely be unimpressive. He'll have to do all of the heavy lifting.
2. Quinshon Judkins
The Browns found a true gem with Quinshon Judkins. He looked explosive early on in his rookie season, and reports coming out of training camp suggest he's gotten even twitchier and stronger after his injury.
That said, Judkins was also a victim of circumstances last season. The Browns had no running game whatsoever, partly because of their struggling offensive line and because the team had no threat at quarterback.
The new playmakers should draw more defensive attention, but with other teams daring Watson to throw and beat them with his arm, they can focus on shutting down the run. If anything, Dylan Sampson might thrive, bailing out Watson by piling up big gains on screen passes.
3. Spencer Fano - LT
According to Sumer Sports, Watson took the 10th-longest to get rid of the ball in 2024 (2.79 seconds). For context, he did worse than the likes of Anthony Richardson, Marcus Mariota, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and multiple rookies that year.
Watson's sack percentage (12.18 percent) was the worst among 47 quarterbacks with at least 100 snaps played that season. The offensive line looks different now, but asking a rookie left tackle to keep a clean pocket for him for that long is a big ask.
Watson has lost all of his mobility. He was never known for his pocket presence, and he can no longer trust his legs to bail him out.
Fano has looked the part so far, but he's about to be baptized by fire by trying to keep No. 4 out of harm's way.
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