Four years ago, the Browns made the single worst transaction in NFL history, trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson, ripping up his existing deal, and signing him to a five-year, fully-guaranteed, $230 million contract.
The fact that it was such a bad deal for the don’t-call-us-dysfunctional Browns makes it a great deal for a previously dysfunctional Houston franchise that found an exit ramp from a very awkward situation.
In early 2022, Watson had missed a full season of football, not playing in 2021 while the Texans waited for the right opportunity to trade him. (Watson became disenchanted with the Texans after they allegedly ignored his input for coaching and G.M. hires.) He had more than 20 civil lawsuits arising from allegations of misconduct during massage-therapy sessions, with an inevitable suspension on the table. Even with those lawsuits pending and a suspension looming, Texans G.M. Nick Caserio found four teams that were willing to meet Houston’s trade requirements, allowing the Browns, Panthers, Falcons, and Saints to make their cases directly to Watson.
The Browns were the first team out. They responded by making Watson a financial offer he couldn’t refuse. And so Watson went to Cleveland, with the Texans picking up three first-round picks, two third-round picks, and a fourth-round pick from Cleveland.
Caserio moved most of those picks in trades. The Texans ended up collecting at least 10 new players. And while not all of them panned out, three key members of the currently dominant defense arrived with the draft-day ammunition the Texans acquired by moving on from a franchise quarterback who no longer wanted to play for his original franchise: defensive end Will Anderson Jr., cornerback Kamari Lassiter, and safety Calen Bullock.
If all the Texans got from the Watson deal was Anderson, it would have been a resounding win.
The trade isn’t the only reason the Texans got back on track. They hired and fired David Culley after one year before hiring and firing Lovie Smith after one year before getting the right coach in DeMeco Ryans. Still, Caserio’s ability to find a clear path out of the seemingly hopeless Deshaun Watson maze became a key piece in the development of a team that is getting ready to play for a berth in the AFC Championship, while the Browns are trying to replace the two-time coach of the year who took the fall for the disastrous decision to trade for, and to pay big money to, Watson.
