Rob Oller: Cleveland Browns trading for Deshaun Watson jeopardizes fanbase loyalty
Leave it to the Cleveland Browns to politicize the quarterback position and turn a loyal and unified fanbase against itself by trading for Deshaun Watson.
What are you talking about, Oller? Browns fans, woof, woof, are united forever. Stop lobbing grenades into a situation that isn’t explosive.
Isn’t explosive? Tell that to the fans I’ve heard from over the past few days who are disgusted that Cleveland agreed to sign Watson to a guaranteed contract worth $230 million. Some, perhaps many, have untethered their long-held allegiance to a franchise they now see as hypocritical, after the Browns signed a quarterback who faces 22 civil suits alleging sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions.
Not two. Twenty-two. I’m with Marla Ridenour on this one. The longtime columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal, who has covered the Browns for three decades, fairly savaged team co-owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam last week with an above-the-belt body blow.
“I believe in second chances,” Ridenour wrote, referencing Watson. “But I have to side with 22 women now — even if the Browns won’t.”
Exactly.
Is that the majority opinion among Browns fans? Probably not. I’m guessing most are quick to point out that Watson will not face criminal charges after a Texas grand jury declined to indict the 26-year-old. If that is your view, all I ask is to be consistent with your extension of grace.
Remember when as a Browns fan you brought fire down upon Ben Roethlisberger for a pair of sexual assault allegations against the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback in 2009-10? Well, what suddenly changed for you to embrace Watson?
Oh, I know. Watson plays for the Browns, not the black and gold evil empire.
Hypocrisy aside, one unfortunate aspect of Cleveland trading for Watson is the ensuing debate over which side of the aisle you stand. Check that, it’s sad that an aisle had to be created in the first place. The Haslams have divided their fans into two distinct and familiar camps: those who think mountains are being made over molehills and those demanding justice for abused women.
Instead of arguing over whether Baker Mayfield was the ultimate answer at quarterback — he wasn’t — or Nick Chubb needs more carries — he does — the Dawg Pounders are taking sides for and against their team’s decision-making as it relates to allegations of sexual assault. All for the sake of having a better shot at a Super Bowl.
If that sounds too preachy, remember the Haslams themselves have been delivering sermons on workplace ethics and marketplace morality. The Browns have pushed hard for inclusion, put a premium on character and demanded accountability. They were honored during Super Bowl week with the inaugural John B. Wooten Award, given to NFL teams that embody workplace diversity, equity and inclusion. Cleveland ownership has made clear that women and minorities matter within the organization.
Women outside the organization? Not so much.
Stop pushing a political agenda, Oller. Stick to football.
As you wish. Strictly from an Xs and Os standpoint, the Watson trade makes sense, mainly because Mayfield was unlikely to deliver a Super Bowl title. One of Mayfield's unsolvable problems is his height. Defenses have figured out how to use his size disadvantage against him, by loading up one side to force him to the other, which narrows his field of view upon leaving the pocket.
Watson is a physical upgrade, but enough to make a substantial difference in the standings? Mayfield is 29-30 as a starter, with one playoff win. Watson was 28-25 in Houston over five seasons, also with one playoff win. He was 4-12 his last year with the Texans.
Does that sound like a quarterback worth spending an NFL-record $230 million on in guaranteed money? Aaron Rodgers just signed a deal worth $150 million guaranteed. Then again, it’s only money, and the Haslams have plenty of it. What they lack are the three first-round draft picks they sent the Texans, but even that is less of a sacrifice than it seems. The Browns gave up picks but kept bodies, with no players involved in the deal, which is why the trade does not sit well with many Houston fans.
The Browns, meanwhile, come away with what they think is a true franchise quarterback, albeit one facing a possible multiple-game suspension this season. But what else is new? It's not like Cleveland is the first team to take a chance on an at-risk player. The Browns even have a history of doing so, having signed Kareem Hunt in 2019 while the running back was being investigated for assaulting a woman in 2018. The NFL eventually suspended Hunt eight games.
No one is perfect, right? That is one way to see it. But the Haslams have created a second way, where angry and disenchanted fans view the Watson trade as selling one’s soul for a chance at Super Bowl glory.
I never thought I’d see an “us against them” mentality play out within Browns Nation. That kind of thinking has always been reserved for the Steelers, Raven, Bengals and Art Modell. But here we are.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Deshaun Watson: Cleveland Browns NFL trade divides fans on quarterback
