3 things to watch as Browns kick off mandatory minicamp
By Randy Gurzi
1. Deshaun Watson without a lingering suspension
When the Browns added Deshaun Watson in 2022, they knew he would miss most of the season. In all honesty, they probably thought he would miss the entire campaign as he faced a league suspension for more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct.
In the end, Watson settled the majority of his cases and then settled with the NFL. Originally suspended six games by an outside arbitrator, the NFL appealed the decision and with the threat of a year-long ban (or indefinite suspension), Watson and the league agreed upon 11 games.
He played in the final six of the season, leading Cleveland to a record of 3-3 in that span. Overall, his play was shaky but we saw flashes of the star player he was in Houston.
Fast forward to now and Watson should be much more focused. He no longer has to worry about a league suspension and can put all his energy into the game. He's also going to have plenty of weapons on offense with Elijah Moore, Marquise Goodwin, and Jordan Akins added in the offseason.
Watson will continue to work with each of them but they could be joined by Amari Cooper and David Njoku as well. Cooper has been recovering from surgery so that might be optimistic but Njoku wasn't at OTAs so this will be the first chance he and Watson get to work together this offseason.
Next. 3 reasons DeAndre Hopkins won’t sign with the Cleveland Browns. 3 reasons DeAndre Hopkins won’t sign with the Cleveland Browns. dark
Cleveland mortgaged their future for Watson and mandatory minicamps will be another chance for him to prove he's the leader this offense needs.