THE BROWNS FILE
Home field: FirstEnergy Stadium
Coach: Kevin Stefanski
Offensive star: RB Nick Chubb
Defensive star: DE Myles Garrett
2021 Season: Failed to make playoffs
Super Bowls: No appearances
Greatest Player: RB Jim Brown
Factoid: The Browns are the only NFL team without a logo on their helmet.
By Lenn Robbins
Some franchises go all in. Others go ALL IN!
Every member of the Cleveland Browns better have a BetBasics.com account because this franchise isn’t afraid to let it ride. Unfortunately, the Browns might be derailed in 2021 after one of the most shocking deals in NFL history went bust.
The Browns acquired former Texans QB Deshaun Watson by sending first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, a third-round pick in 2022 and a fourth-round pick in 2024. The Browns then signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million contract. All guaranteed!
One problem. The NFL drew a hard line with Watson, who was accused by multiple women of coercive and lewd sexual behavior and two accusations of sexual assault. After the NFL’s disciplinary officer suspended Watson for six games, the league appealed. The suspension increased to 11 games.
Watson might lead the Browns to a Super Bowl in coming seasons but they’ll be hard-pressed to make the playoffs in 2021. The AFC North has quickly become one of the toughest in football. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have been tough for years and now the Bengals have emerged as one of the league’s best young teams, losing in the Super Bowl to the Rams.
The Browns have remained content to go with Jacoby Brissett for the first 11 games. Brissett has proven himself to be a respectable QB from a statistics standpoint, but he’s never established himself as anything more.
The Browns might have a more daunting obstacle. Watson missed all of 2021 while his transgressions were investigated and he’ll miss the first 11 games of 2022. At the age of 26, he should have a great career ahead of him.
But what if he’s lost his mojo. Maybe almost two seasons away from the field proves to be a long-term setback. Then the Browns will have mortgaged their present and future. Anything is possible.
The Browns have learned that one the hard way.