Dawgs By Nature
A familiar strategy for the Browns could ease the financial blow of moving on
Unless Deshaun Watson plays well leading the Cleveland Browns to a win on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team may be forced to pull the plug on what will be labeled the worst NFL trade of all time.
With the team returning home next week, the stadium will surely be filled with fans ready to take out their frustrations if they fall to 1-5.
The Browns gave up a haul that included three first-round draft picks to acquire him from the Houston Texans prior to the 2022 season. Watson is set to start only his 18th game over that period.
The thought of being able to trade Watson and his $230 million, fully guaranteed contract has been an inconceivable proposition ever since he stepped back on the field from his suspension.
With all of that being said, an idea for a trade that seems improbable but interesting was floated yesterday at ESPN.
On the Unsportsmanlike Radio show, host Evan Cohen floated a trade concept that the Browns are familiar with. Cohen suggested that a desperate team with plenty of cap space like the Carolina Panthers should be willing to take Watson and help eat the cap hit in return for additional draft picks.
Cleveland did a similar deal in 2017 when they traded for quarterback Brock Osweiler from the Texans. The move was shocking then and had many analysts scratching their heads.
Essentially the Browns purchased an additional second-round pick and helped save the Texans $16 million in cash and $10 million against the salary cap. The full terms of the deal were:
Browns received
Osweiler, 2nd & 6th
Texans received
4th
That second-round pick ultimately was utilized to draft Nick Chubb in the 2018 draft, which was a major piece of the Browns rebuild.
Carolina appears set to move on from Bryce Young and as Cohen noted will have trouble attracting talent in free agency. Acquiring extra picks could help them draft talent.
In theory, the Panthers wouldn’t miss the money by taking a cap hit on Watson. The exact amount would need to be negotiated as the more salary a team like Carolina would take on, the more draft capital the Browns would need to part with.
Given the price required for the Osweiler trade, Cleveland would most likely be giving up multiple strong picks over a couple of seasons.
In the end, a scenario like this is unlikely and the league would scrutinize any such deal but it is a creative solution for all parties involved. The rub here for Browns fans is of course giving up any more draft picks than they already have.
The thought of that is hard to stomach for an aging team already missing the young talent they could have had with those initial picks.
***Would you be willing to give up strong draft capital to avoid some of the cap hit on the deal? Let...
