Browns sign a 25m QB….
The Browns traded for Deshaun Watson in 2022 with the assumption that the Texans quarterback would help to transform Cleveland into a legitimate playoff contender.
Flash forward two years, and the Browns are indeed in the postseason. Cleveland finished second in the AFC North behind the Ravens, with its record of 11-6 tied for the second-best mark in the AFC.
Yet while the Browns are participating in playoff football, Watson won’t be on the field. Instead, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco will be under center for Cleveland’s matchup with Houston at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday. The Browns, who earned the No. 5 seed in the AFC as the top wild-card team, travel to Houston to face the No. 4 Texans in the wild-card round.
Watson has been out since November with a shoulder injury. The quarterback tried to play through the injury but ultimately needed to undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder. As a result, the Browns signed Flacco, who earned the QB1 job over rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and journeyman P.J. Walker. Flacco went 4-1 in five starts in the regular season.
The trade for Watson has not panned out as expected for the Browns. Suspensions and injuries have kept Watson out of action for a majority of both of his seasons with the team. In total, he has played in just 12 games for Cleveland.
MORE: Why Deshaun Watson isn’t starting for the Browns in the 2024 playoffs
The Sporting News breaks down the details of the Watson trade between the Browns and Texans.
What did the Browns trade for Deshaun Watson?
The Browns did not have to give up any personnel in the Watson deal. Cleveland sent Houston six draft picks — a first and fourth in 2022, a first and third in 2023 and a first and fourth in 2024 — for Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick.
Not only did the Browns trade for Wilson, but they also gave him a hefty new contract as a result — a five-year, $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed. It’s the most guaranteed money handed out to any player in NFL history.
MORE: The highest paid QBs in the NFL by value, AAV and guarantees
Deshaun Watson trade details
Watson was the lone player involved in the Texans-Browns deal in 2022. Houston ended up with six draft picks in the trade, including three first-round selections, while Cleveland received Watson and a 2024 draft pick.
Here’s how the players selected by the Texans with those picks have panned out:
The 2022 first-round pick was traded by the Texans to the Eagles. Houston sent the No. 13 overall pick for pick Nos. 15, 124, 162, 166. At No. 15, the Texans selected guard Kenyon Greene. He made 14 starts in 2022 but missed the 2023 season with a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason.
Dameon Pierce had a strong rookie campaign in 2022. As the Texans’ lead back, Pierce rushed for 939 yards on 220 carries, racking up four touchdowns. However, the Florida product took a back seat in 2023 after Houston’s signing of Devin Singletary. This year, Pierce ran for 416 yards on 145 carries, finding the end zone twice.
— The 2023 first-round pick (No. 12 overall) was packaged by the Texans in the deal to land the No. 3 pick in the draft from the Cardinals. With that selection, Houston took Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. It’s a gamble that paid off, as Anderson Jr. is a candidate to win Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 after recording 45 tackles and seven sacks in his first NFL season.
— One of the steals of the 2023 draft was the Texans’ third-round selection of Tank Dell. The dynamic wide receiver generated chemistry almost immediately with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Despite missing the last six games of the year with a season-ending fibula injury, the rookie wide receiver finished second on the team in receiving yards (709) and touchdowns (seven), while coming third in receptions (47).
