Berea, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns have been knowledgeable Thursday that they’re not racing to land landing Deshaun Watson in a enterprise cope with the Houston Texans, a group supply advised ESPN.
Brown officers met with Watson on Tuesday in Houston and tried to steer the quarterback to waive a no-trade clause to play with them. However Watson as a substitute eradicated Brown from the competitors, leaving the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons as remaining identified opponents for Watson.
Watson didn’t play final season after an low season request to be traded and 22 lawsuits in opposition to him alleging sexual assault and inappropriate conduct throughout massages surfaced. However a Texas grand jury refused to indict Watson on legal prices final Friday, signaling the top of legal proceedings referring to him in Harris County and the beginning of commerce talks between Texas and groups.
The Saints made a number of strikes earlier Thursday to take in Watson’s $35 million wage in a possible deal, a supply advised ESPN’s Subject Yates, restructuring the contracts of quarterback Tysum Hill, linebackers Bradley Robbie and Malcolm Jenkins, and linebacker Demario Davis to depart the group with 29.9 Million {dollars} in cowl house.
Watson’s resolution places Browns in a sophisticated predicament with present midfielder Baker Mayfield. As Cleveland officers have been getting back from the Watson assembly on Tuesday night time, Mayfield posted a press release on social media thanking town of Cleveland and its followers for “actually embracing who I’m.”
“With many doubts, right here is the place my head and my coronary heart are,” Mayfield wrote as a preface to his letter, which he addressed to Cleveland and posted on Instagram and Twitter.
Brown will now should determine whether or not to attempt to match up with Mayfield or commerce the 2018 No. 1 choose and attempt to get one other quarterback. A group supply stated Brown would like transferring ahead at Mayfield.
A supply advised ESPN that Mayfield and his camp discovered of Cleveland’s assembly with Watson by way of social media. Nevertheless, Browns basic supervisor Andrew Berry advised Mayfield’s camp privately earlier within the season that the group may go after the top-flight midfielder if one turns into obtainable, in keeping with a number of sources.
Each Perry and coach Kevin Stefansky have repeatedly introduced that this season he’ll stay the Cleveland quarterback, by way of their scouting group final month.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Tony Busby, advised KHOU 11. Previous to assembly Brown on Tuesday, Watson answered questions on two of the 22 lawsuits filed in opposition to him throughout ongoing affidavits. Two periods of testimony started on Friday.
Mayfield had a turbulent interval in Cleveland, taking part in below 4 coaches throughout his first three seasons within the league. However the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner led Cleveland to their first playoff win in 26 years throughout the 2020 season and completed tenth within the league within the QBR.
Mayfield suffered a tear in his shoulder within the second week of final season and struggled the remainder of the way in which, ending twenty seventh within the QBR as Brown missed the playoffs and completed with a disappointing 8-9 document.
Mayfield, who underwent labral restore surgical procedure on January 19 and is anticipated to be absolutely cleared effectively earlier than coaching camp, is getting into the ultimate yr of his start-up deal, which can pay him $19 million in 2023.
