Here's another random thought: I was just looking up things about coaches who might be on the hot seat, and I stumbled onto the Browns, and I had this "wait, they're still paying Watson, aren't they?"
And they are. And how. (We'll get to that in a second.)
So, how is this a Commanders thought? Remember back in 2022 when Ron was out there turning over every rock for a QB, Watson was one of the guys who was available through a trade. And somehow we avoided that debacle. Amazingly, every significant option on the table for Ron that year turned out to be a bust, it was just the wrong year to be looking for a QB:
- There was nothing in the draft. Kenny Picket was the first QB taken, he didn't work out. Thor Nystrom bet his life on Malik Willis, he hasn't turned out to be anything. Desmond Ridder, Matt Coral, Bailley Zappe, Sam Howell (who we drafted)
- Russell Wilson. Thank God we didn't succeed in that trade. He flamed out in Denver, then in Pittsburgh, now with the Giants.
- Aaron Rodgers. He ended up staying put. But he has looked washed the last several years and has been injured, and comes with immense drama.
- DeShaun Watson. Avoided not just a bullet but a nuclear bomb with that one.
So, while Ron got Wentz and that didn't work out, we managed to get out of it for just a mid-round draft pick and no future cost. So, all things being equal, thank God for that. The one thing Ron succeeded in doing was setting us up for success once he left. The cap was in good shape, he sucked so bad we had the #2 overall pick, and he hadn't traded future draft picks for immediate success. It's about the only thing which he did right.
Just a note on Watson: Here is the remainder of Watson's contract according to
The Browns are going to have to figure out how to navigate either having Watson on the roster for $80m next year, or figure out how to cut/trade him and deal with the $131m of dead money. I find it hysterical he will cost $25 in the cap in 2027, the year after he's absolutely no longer on the team.
I have no idea how they are going to navigate this. I don't really care so much. This year was manageable. $36m against the cap. Next year at $80m for a player you want to get rid of? That's going to be fascinating to see how that plays out.
Thank you Ron/Dan for not being THAT stupid. It's really possible the first year they could legitimately have a good cap situation is 2028. In 3 years. Because of this deal.
Also, thank you Browns for pushing the Albert Hayensworth contract debacle to 2nd worst in the history of the NFL.