Regardless, the Browns still need control of the situation. To what extent they pay part of his salary to taking a 2024 7th round draft pick as compensation, it all plays into them still having some control over 2022. WORST CASE SCENARIO would be if the Browns panic, cut him, a new team signs him to league veteran minimum they pay $17.8M of the $18.8M on this 5th year option and that team is the Steelers... Whom make the playoffs, beat the Browns twice against Jacoby Brissett because is playing in place of Watson who is on the exempt list for the entirety of 2022 as he battles his 22 law suits. THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE BOARD will blow up if that happens... cutting him starts that in motion.
Look, I'm pissed off at the Watson signing, but would you seriously celebrate if Mayfield took the Steelers to the playoffs??
He doesn't even have a new team yet but I'll put money down that Mayfield wins a Super Bowl before DW does.
$25 to the charity of choice? And let’s make it that they just have to play in one, with both of us having to pay up $25 to charity if neither makes it to the big game (retire without).
Forgive me, guys, but it appears y'all are ignoring the elephant in the room. Currently the Browns (per OverTheCap.com) have $20,906,303 in Salary Cap Space for 2022. That number is based on 59 players currently under contract for 2022 - of which, three are Quarterbacks. Deshawn Watson: $10,028,000 (fully guaranteed) Baker Mayfield: $18,858,000 (fully guaranteed) Jacoby Brissett: $4,650,000 ($1,500,000 guaranteed) Deshawn Watson Best case scenario: The NFL investigation finds insufficient evidence in the off-field accusations to warrant any "Personal Conduct" suspension. Watson is QB1 to start the season. [Unlikely] Worst case scenario: The NFL places Watson on the Commissioner's Exempt List for the entire 2022 season. Watson is ineligible to play but still draws his $10,028,000 salary. Probable scenario: Somewhere between Best and Worst case scenarios (six to eight week suspension). Baker Mayfield Best case scenario: Mayfield summons his "walk-on mentality", reports for all voluntary & mandatory off-season activities and aggressively competes for the starting job. Watson receives only a six week suspension, Mayfield plays like he did in 2020 and improves his trade value. Worst case scenario ①: Watson is suspended for the entire 2022 season and Mayfield reports for training camp, is QB1 for the season but plays like he did in 2021. Worst case scenario ②: Watson is suspended for the entire 2022 season and Mayfield decides to hold out for the entire 2022 season. (NOTE: The Browns recoup his $18,858,000 salary, but his contract "tolls" so we go through this again next year.) [Unlikely] Jacoby Brissett: Best case scenario One of the two best case scenarios above happen and Brissett remains QB2 (or QB3) for the entire year. Worst case scenario: Two of the three worst case scenarios above happen, Brissett becomes QB1 and we're forced to add an Andy Dalton type QB to the roster.
Sounds like that Browns Dysfunction everyone spews almost yearly outside of our orange colored glasses... I really thought with Berry and then Stefanski, we were moving past all of that. It may be worse now than ever.
Very true... We won't know the answer until we get answers on Deshaun Watson, which could be many months away. An arguable top 5 QB isn't top 5 if he isn't available to be on the field.. Meanwhile, we need answers on Mayfield as well. If he rots in the Browns dog house, he is likely months away as well. Jacoby Brissett, oddly enough, is the most substantial QB candidate we have on the roster right now... If that isn't half empty, I don't know what is.
You know, if we look at our two avatars, this could be a scene from the Oscars... Leprechaun getting ready to bitch slap Brownie, and he is just standing there ready to take it on the chin.
And took it on the chin he did !!! Didn't even leave a mark. On the other hand, Leprechaun may have his Oscar taken away and (could potentially) be facing assault charges.
Don't forget that "Chief Strategy Officer" Paul DePodesta has signed off on all of this. Everything that is happening now has been anticipated by our FO for months...
Browns' calculations making enemies of both fans (or ex-fans) and peers, it seems. Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti, rightly said that DW was not anywhere close to being the first guy to deserve the extended, fully-guaranteed contract. Sure, you can claim "sour grapes" because it makes paying his star QB tougher now, but he's not wrong. And there are mf's out there gas-lighting people into thinking DW is an "elite" guy. False. Texans 48 games before DW: 27-21 (0.563). Texans next 53 games with DW: 28-25 (0.528), and also 1-2 in the post-season. DW is a good, not great - certainly not elite, QB who quit on a team, demanded a trade, got himself into a serious legal entanglement, could be facing extended suspension time, and this F/O went out of their way, scorched the earth with their incumbent QB, burned several bridges with long-time fans, ruffled feathers among the league... ? That is the guy you want getting the largest NFL contract in history? Me:
Definitely sour grapes. Besides, It's more about timing. Cousins never deserved to be the highest paid QB either, but he was.
Fully guaranteed contract is the problem, not the highest paid amount. If you think about it logically that makes no sense because of the legal issues.
