The fan base of the Cleveland Browns seems divided on the team’s acquisition of star quarterback Deshaun Watson this offseason.
Some love the move, as he will be the best QB they have had in decades, while others lament it, feeling that it sends a bad message PR-wise.
Watson was accused of misconduct by a handful of women during massage therapy sessions, and although a grand jury didn’t move forward with criminal charges, he is facing 22 lawsuits related to the incidents in question.
He could still be suspended by the NFL, and a decision on whether he will is expected perhaps by the start of training camp.
However, Watson has recently done something that just about everyone in the Dawg Pound can agree on.
Watson Took His New Teammates On A Trip
Days ago, members of the Browns took off to the Bahamas for a trip that Watson himself funded.
Reportedly, about 27 players made the trip and booked themselves into the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.
This trip is a tremendous gesture from a player who has been maligned by fans by the media, and it looks like it is his way of starting off on the right foot with a new squad.
It looked like some of the men got in some holes of golf, and a video of Watson sinking a long putt made its rounds on social media.
Yeahhhhhh @deshaunwatson #Browns pic.twitter.com/jvFY6NUvCH
— – ℬ𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹ℴ 🇵🇷🦼 (@ovobrando) May 19, 2022
This comes in contrast to Baker Mayfield, who didn’t seem to be the most highly regarded player in the Browns locker room.
Reportedly, star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wanted to leave Cleveland because of Mayfield.
Now that Mayfield is apparently on his way out, Beckham may be thinking of returning to Northeast Ohio.
He Will Give The Browns A Major Weapon
Never in anything close to recent memory have the Browns ever had a signal-caller as prolific as Watson.
For all the concern about his off-the-field problems and the optics of signing a player like him who has been accused of unsavory conduct towards women, he is a QB who can elevate the players around him.
In 2020, he led the NFL in passing yards with 4,823 yards and 12.6 yards gained per completed pass, while also throwing 33 touchdowns versus just seven interceptions and posting a 112.4 passer rating.
Watson is also one of the better running quarterbacks in the NFL, as evidenced by his 444 yards and three touchdowns on the ground that season.
He will have Amari Cooper, a four-time Pro Bowl wideout, by his side once play starts in a few months.
The Browns are also hoping that young wideouts such as Anthony Schwartz and Donovan Peoples-Jones will blossom thanks to Watson getting them the ball more reliably than Mayfield could, especially on mid-range and deep attempts.
2022 could be a breakout season for WR Anthony Schwartz. Battled injuries his rookie season but under QB Deshaun Watson he could turn into the speed/downfield threat the team needs him to be #Browns. pic.twitter.com/0QQWxgw9mD
— Tyler Johnson (@T_johnson_TJ) May 11, 2022
Of course, Cleveland also has Nick Chubb, one of the NFL’s best running backs, and fellow tailback Kareem Hunt to take some pressure off Watson.
When he was in Houston, Watson never had a running back with anywhere close to the talents that Chubb possesses.
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