The Cleveland Browns continue to believe in Deshaun Watson, but if they can get off of his contract by way of any deal, that is a move the franchise must consider.
Any deal would be complicated because of Watson’s $230 million fully-guaranteed contract, which still has three years remaining. It would also need to involve a team that is paying a premium for an underperforming QB of its own and might view Watson as an upgrade.
ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum, a former executive with both the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, recently suggested a trade flipping Watson to the New York Giants for quarterback Daniel Jones.
“Why is Watson more valuable to the Giants than he would be to the Browns?” Aaron Goldhammer of ESPN Cleveland’s “The Really Big Show” asked Tannenbaum on Friday, February 16.
“Because they gotta win,” Tannenbaum responded. “They gotta win right now, and they’re not gonna get to where they wanna go with Daniel Jones.”
“But we’ve gotta win though, Mike,” Goldhammer offered back. “We’ve been waiting for a Super Bowl here since … the Super Bowl was invented.”
“You are winning. You won 11 games. That’s really hard to do, and you did it without Deshaun Watson,” Tannenbaum said. “So now, how can we maximize what he could bring back to us?”
“It gets more complicated because of what’s happened and the money,” Tannenbaum continued. “But really, if you’re Cleveland, you have created a situation now where Deshaun Watson — if you can turn him into Tee Higgins, Chris Jones, you’re really improving your football team. And because of what you’ve been able to do at the quarterback position [you have] great flexibility.”
Browns Capable of Winning Without Deshaun Watson Under Center
Cleveland has proven over the last two seasons that it can win with a quarterback other than Watson in the lineup. Joe Flacco earned a 4-1 record under center, while the trio of Jacoby Brissett, PJ Walker and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson went a combined 6-10 over the past two years.
Watson has been 8-4 across that stretch, though Tannenbaum’s point that the Browns can be successful without him still stands, particularly in the case of Flacco. In the trade that Tannenbaum proposed, Jones can theoretically step into Watson’s place and play well enough for Cleveland to win.
Otherwise, the Browns can attempt to bring back Flacco and create a QB competition in training camp. Meanwhile, Jones’ four-year and $160 million contract has three seasons remaining — the same as Watson’s — but would cost Cleveland less annually.
Daniel Jones Needs Specific Circumstances to Succeed, Which Browns Can Provide
The notion that Jones could come to Cleveland and remake his career is a stretch, to say the least.
Injury limited Jones to just six games played in 2023. He earned his $160 million extension following a 9-6-1 campaign in 2022, in which New York made the playoffs and won a Wildcard road game against the Minnesota Vikings. Jones finished that season with 3,205 passing yards, 15 TDs and 5 INTs. He also rushed the football for 708 yards and 7 scores, per Pro Football Reference.
Jones has never been a prolific passer, eclipsing 3,000 yards only twice across his five-year NFL career and throwing for more than 15 touchdowns only once (24 during his rookie campaign in 2019). That said, when he has had a healthy Saquon Barkley in the backfield, Jones has appeared formidable.
It is unclear if Nick Chubb will be back in a Browns uniform in 2024, but if he is and can play at full health, Jones would have a chance to make some noise in Cleveland.
