The way I see it is the criminal case is closed. Watson will not see any jail time, no criminal charges. There is not enought evidence to charge the man. Watson is free to play, civil cases or not. Civil case is about getting paid, nothing criminal in that. Not too risky for nfl team to pick up Watson since no criminal charges.
Yup the only thing a team faced was public scrutiny by signing him (even that will fade away) and lets face it if he still wanted to be in Houston most of the fan base would welcome him back with open arms bc we all know how hard it is to find a franchise qb since we've never had one and the Texans potentially would've tried to keep him as well. Look at all the other athletes that have been accused of similar things whether it be Kobe or Big Ben they're just brushed under the rug and barely even discussed especially bc they were so successful and that is going to be the same with Deshaun, all these charges will be forgotten in due time. It's unfortunate but it's the truth.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/03/21/mmqb-how-browns-got-back-in-deshaun-watson-chase Watson’s camp started with a list of 13 teams that he and his team, through their research, believed would have an interest once the legal situation gained clarity. Ahead of the grand-jury decision, the embattled quarterback had cut the list down to eight teams that he’d consider going to. And that’s really where the process of offloading Watson began for the Texans, some 14 months after the quarterback’s initial trade request, and a little less than a year since the first lawsuit against him was filed, and where Watson’s search for a new home would accelerate. • The Texans opened discussions on trade packages with the teams Watson said he’d consider waiving his no-trade clause to go to, but they didn’t have turnkey deals in place with each of them. Instead, GM Nick Caserio established a threshold of three first-rounders with additional considerations—and teams would need to cross that threshold to get permission to talk to Watson from Houston. The idea was simply to save the Texans and the other teams the time of going down the road with Watson, if a deal wasn’t feasible. Three teams failed to clear the threshold or withdrew interest, and the Colts were eliminated because, with other viable options, the Texans weren’t trading Watson in-division. From there, Caserio granted the Saints, Falcons, Panthers and Browns permission to meet with Watson. • Watson’s camp set up meetings with Saints and Falcons for Monday, and the Browns for Tuesday at the office of Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, in Houston—Hardin offered the space because the player and teams simply needed a private, secure place to talk. With plans to work out in Atlanta with his quarterback trainer, Quincy Avery, set for later in the week, the Falcons meeting was arranged for Wednesday in Georgia. Each team brought its general manager and head coach, and three of the four had their owners at the initial meetings too. Saints owner Gayle Benson was the one who didn’t make it to the first set of meetings, and as New Orleans progressed as a serious contender for Watson, the Saints and Watson’s camp arranged a second meeting for Wednesday night in Atlanta, after the Falcons meeting, so the owner could meet the quarterback. • The Browns, according to a source close, intrigued Watson from the start. He liked the roster that Berry had built, and that Berry was young, and would be around awhile, appealed to him. When he talked X’s and O’s with coach Kevin Stefanski, Stefanski told Watson what he liked about his game, a detailed plan for how he’d use him in his offense and also where he thought Watson needed to improve as a player. He also liked how Jimmy and Dee Haslam knew the roster. They knew every player, how each contributed to the team, their contracts, age, and how they projected out into the future. • Still, at that point, Watson was uneasy about going north to Cleveland, and casting his lot in a cold-weather city after playing high school football in Georgia, college football in South Carolina, and pro football in Texas. So on Wednesday, Watson personally called Berry and explained to him why he was eliminating the Browns. Berry wished Watson well, and then called Mulugheta and told him he’d stay in touch and that he’d still be interested if Watson, for some reason, changed his mind. • According to a Browns source, by then, they had done a lot of the work in vetting Watson, and really ramped up their background research in January as their season ended. They had their security people and their lawyers on it, and also deployed private investigators to dig into the cases against Watson, and also his past, going back to his time in high school and college. They were among the teams that had gone through the depositions of the 22 women alleging misconduct by Watson, as well, though lawyer Tony Buzbee told ESPN on Sunday that none of the teams involved contacted him or the women directly. • The Panthers were eliminated on Thursday night, which put Watson at the end of his process, hoping to decide between the Falcons (who had geography going for them) and the Saints (who had the aforementioned recent on-field success on their side). And that’s where the Browns got back into it. So yes, Watson, according to a source, liked his interactions with the Browns’ brass, but he liked the Saints, Panthers and Falcons, too. And sure, the owners had impressed him, as had Stefanski’s plans and Berry’s work on putting the team together. But more than anything else, when it came back to being a football decision for Watson, it was the roster that separated Cleveland. He not only saw the Browns as talented, he loved how young they were in key spots. The line, he figured, would be the best he’d ever played behind. The backs were as good as any in football, and there was depth at tight end too. Amari Cooper was coming in. The defense had Myles Garrett and a loaded secondary. And so many of these guys stood to get better, and stay in Cleveland for a long time to come. So he told Mulugheta, who called Berry and told him to call Caserio to work out the trade. The agreement, which started roughly as three-first-round-picks-and-thensome, morphed into this final deal on Friday afternoon … Browns get: QB Deshaun Watson, 2024 fifth-round pick. Texans get: 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick. On one side of the deal, Caserio had what he’d been patient in waiting for—the sort of historic haul a 26-year-old franchise quarterback, who happened to be under contract for four more years, should bring. After Watson first requested the trade, before the lawsuits were filed, and at a time when Caserio was unwilling to move him, the Texans had been offered packages of three first-round picks and more. Those sorts of offers, without qualifiers, evaporated once the allegations against Watson surfaced. And so Caserio was disciplined at the beginning of training camp, and at the trade deadline, in waiting for another market deal to come around, and the grand-jury decision finally brought him those sorts of offers again, off which he can juice his rebuild. On the other side of the deal, the Browns still had some work to do. It’d become clear that Watson’s camp was looking for new money, and new guarantees as part of a trade. And the Browns, upon learning they were Watson’s pick, pushed the trade over the goal line with an unprecedented, fully-guaranteed five-year offer worth $230 million that offers him protection against a suspension in its structure (His 2022 base is just $1 million, and that’s where the money he’d lose during a suspension would be coming from).
https://theathletic.com/3198771/202...t-from-long-shot-to-deshaun-watsons-new-home/ Deshaun Watson’s only trip to Cleveland included a storm. The Texans were in town to play the Browns in November 2020 on a day the opening kickoff was delayed 36 minutes because of a hail-producing thunderstorm. High, swirling winds wreaked havoc the entire afternoon and made throwing incredibly difficult in a game the Browns won, 10-7. In a season when he led the league in passing, Watson threw for a season-low 163 yards and acknowledged afterward the conditions were “real tough.” That was Watson’s starting point with Cleveland as he listened to the team’s presentation last Tuesday. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry had flown from Cleveland to Houston, while team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam flew in from Florida. Together, the four walked into the law offices of Rusty Hardin and Associates with the opportunity to dramatically alter the course of the franchise. All of the information in this account is based on sources with direct knowledge of the meeting between the Browns and Watson. They were granted anonymity to speak freely about the details. Of the four teams to meet with Watson, the former Texans quarterback who sat out the 2021 season while being investigated for sexual assault and sexual misconduct, the Browns were always seen as the long shot. Watson, 26, was born and raised in the South. He went to college in the South. He played his NFL home games in a dome in the South. The other three teams scheduled to meet with him were all located in the South. The Browns’ current quarterback, Baker Mayfield, had stopped communicating with the team. Mayfield and his representatives believed the Browns were going to trade for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins given Stefanskis’ prior relationship with Cousins in Minnesota, but the Browns were never really interested in acquiring Cousins. Berry told Mayfield’s representatives at the combine that the Browns may pursue one of the elite quarterbacks that could be available, such as Russell Wilson or Watson. Other than that, the team intended on bringing Mayfield back to be the starter in 2022. The Browns were one of 13 teams to express interest in Watson, who held a full no-trade clause. That left him in control of the proceedings. He reviewed the rosters of all 13 and submitted a list of five for which he was willing to waive his no-trade clause. The Texans eliminated one of his five teams because they were within the division. The four finalists were the Panthers, Saints, Falcons and Browns. The meetings served as a sort of joint interview. Watson was interviewing the Browns to see if he was a fit and the Browns wanted to know about him as a quarterback and as a person. They wanted to discuss the looming 22 civil suits brought against him by primarily Houston-area massage therapists alleging sexual misconduct. The Browns were represented by the Haslams, Stefanski and Berry. That’s it. Watson was joined by Hardin, his defense attorney. Quincy Avery, his personal quarterback coach, and David Mulugheta, his agent, both joined the meeting via Zoom. The two sides were set to meet in one of the massive board rooms at Hardin’s headquarters with eight chairs on each side of the conference table. It was stuffy and formal and big enough to accommodate large gatherings. The Saints, for example, brought upwards of 10 people into their meeting with Watson and needed the extra space. The Browns intentionally wanted to keep their circle tight. With so few people in the room, Hardin suggested moving the meeting into his office and a much smaller circular table — a more relaxed, comfortable environment. The Browns spent more than two hours with Watson, who will not face criminal charges after a grand jury declined to indict him this month. Any sort of criminal indictment could’ve landed Watson on the NFL’s exempt list and ruled him ineligible to play. Watson still faces the 22 civil suits, as well as a potential suspension from the league, but once it was clear Watson would not face criminal charges, the Browns felt comfortable pursuing a deal. The Browns say they received overwhelmingly positive feedback from people in Watson’s past and maintain they investigated the accusations, but they did not contact Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the accusers, for fear that their interest would become public. They did, however, speak extensively with three female attorneys associated with Hardin’s defense team. They were the women, including attorney Letitia Quinones, who vetted Watson on whether or not to take the case. They went to Georgia, where Watson was staying, and spent two days gathering information before agreeing to represent him. What the female attorneys told the Browns about the case went a long way toward getting the Haslams comfortable with moving forward and pursuing a trade for Watson. The Browns discussed the case with Watson, who has maintained his innocence throughout the investigations, for roughly 30 minutes. The rest of the meeting was devoted to football. Berry discussed the Browns’ roster, how it was built and how it will continue to evolve into the future. Berry highlighted the fact the Browns have one of the youngest and most talented defenses in the league: Myles Garrett is 26, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is 22, Denzel Ward is 24 and John Johnson III is 26. Other teams, such as the Saints, could provide Watson a stout defense, too. But the Saints were significantly older. Who could match the Browns defensively in terms of talent and age? Watson was impressed by the Haslams. Jimmy admitted he’s made plenty of mistakes since taking over the Browns and discussed what he’s learned and how Watson fits into the Browns’ long-term view. Dee spoke about her involvement in the community and what would be expected of Watson. Watson told his people after the meeting he thought the Haslems were sharp and invested in the roster. He liked how they knew every player and how the players fit within the team. He also was impressed by the fact when he started talking, both Berry and Stefanski were taking notes on what he was saying. Most of the rest of the meeting was devoted to Stefanski and Watson. The Browns didn’t want to bore Watson with some PowerPoint presentation, and they weren’t sure what type of equipment would be available to them at Hardin’s offices, so Stefanski brought an iPad loaded with film clips. The Browns cut up all of Watson’s RPOs from the 2019 and 2020 seasons and organized them by what the Texans did most and areas where Watson excelled. Stefanski sat the iPad between the two of them and showed a play the Browns ran, then followed it with a clip of Watson doing the same thing with the Texans. Stefanski ran the clicker and the two talked football for nearly an hour while no one else in the room could see the screen or what they were discussing. Watson told Stefanski he wanted to be coached hard, that he’ll never get offended by coaching. He asked Stefanski if he saw anything Watson could work on, and Stefanski rattled off a list of a few items, including doing a better job of carrying out his fakes. Watson laughed and said Stefanski sounded like Watson’s 10th-grade coach, who always got on him for that kind of thing.
The Browns left the meeting believing they were going to get Watson — but realized all the other teams would probably leave feeling the same way. One component that was not really discussed at that point between the Browns and Watson: a new contract. Watson still had other teams to consider, and the Browns viewed the Falcons as the biggest threat. The Saints and Panthers were giving their own presentations, but his hometown Falcons were charging hard with sentimental pitches including pictures of Watson as their ball boy years ago. Of all the finalists, Watson knew the Browns’ roster was the best fit and gave him the best opportunity to win right away, but Mulugheta told him he had to start eliminating teams and coming to a decision. Watson was still hung up on going to a location where he hadn’t spent much time and his only experience involved awful weather. Cleveland was the first team eliminated. Watson, however, almost immediately had reservations about his decision. Mulugheta called Berry on Thursday and told him they weren’t getting Watson, but Berry remained persistent. He called Mulugheta back Thursday night to discuss another one of his clients, and at the end of the call turned it back to Watson. He asked what the Browns could’ve done better or differently, then reiterated the team remained interested in him. Carolina had yet to be eliminated, but the Panthers wouldn’t guarantee the third and fourth years on Watson’s contract. The Browns saw it as an opportunity. Berry informed the Browns’ staff Friday morning they may not be out of it after all. By Friday afternoon, the two sides were agreeing to a staggering five-year, $230 million deal that was fully guaranteed, the richest guaranteed contract in league history. Included in the deal: a $45 million signing bonus and $1 million base salary in 2022 that helps protect Watson from the financial implications of any league suspension. Now Berry still had to close the trade with the Texans. The framework of a deal had been agreed upon before the meeting in Houston, but final details still had to be sorted out. Ultimately, the Browns sent first-rounders in 2022, 2023 and 2024 to Houston along with a third-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick in 2024. The Browns also received a fifth-rounder in 2024. Watson’s side never shopped the offer. When the stunning announcement was made that Watson was headed to Cleveland and contract details emerged, one team called and asked why it wasn’t given an opportunity to match — because, they insisted, they would have. The answer: Watson wanted to go to Cleveland. His only hurdle had been moving to a city where he’d never really been before. The Browns immediately went to work clearing out the quarterback room. Backup Case Keenum and his $6.1 million contract were dealt to Buffalo, and Jacoby Brissett was signed to a one-year deal to serve as Watson’s backup. Brissett could play an important role since a suspension is still possible for Watson. The Browns also have to trade Mayfield, their former No. 1 pick. Then they’ll get to work with Watson, their incredibly gifted new franchise quarterback. He is a three-time Pro Bowler whose worst single-season passer rating is better than Mayfield’s best. Of course, not everyone is happy he’s coming, and justifiably so. The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center issued a statement regarding his arrival that read, in part, “To the community we say, we see you. We hear your outrage. We feel it too.” Watson is expected in Cleveland this week. His only previous trip here was in the middle of a storm. Now he is bringing another one with him.
I hear part of his new contract was a pledge by Watson to "try" to only sexually assault 2-3 women per month.
So much BS in that article. It was all about the money that got the Browns back in. No one else was giving him that.
Right. Nothing else made them get back in except guaranteeing 230 mil. NO has as good of talent or better than Cleveland and it’s in the NFC which isn’t near as deep.
Browns were probably the only team offering that ridiculous contract too lets be honest. Desperation for the Browns set in once Baker Mayfield got in his feelings and they knew they needed to make an offer that would blow Watson away. All the football stuff is secondary in my opinion. So Watson was worried about the climate to begin with - eliminated them and then had a change of heart because of the roster? LOL yeah right!
I think we all missed an early sign of who Watson was. Remember when it can out Watson had Mia Khalifa visiting in 2017 at her home? We all played if off as young QB getting attention from all corners, adjusting to real fame. It should have been a RED FLAG.
I think it is awesome that a lot of the national sports media is bringing out their fake outrage about the Watson situation and blaming the league for having not suspending him yet and the Browns for being garbage for taking him. That's exactly what we want, lol. Suspend him a year and make that draft pick next season a top 5 pick.
This was 2017? Yo, he was 21-22 at the time. What heterosexual college-aged male wouldn't jump at the chance to have a p*rn star come over and dress up in a maid costume?
I would think most would prefer that scenario with a woman who looked as good or better that wasn't a w**** if they had the option.....and he did. He opted for the w****.
I appear to have missed the part where Watson has been accused of feeding these women Quaaludes in order to force them to give him massages against their will.
It's a person with fame / infamy who he could totally brag about, to his boys. No sense in psychoanalyzing a college male's choices. Not many think with anything but their penis, at that age.
Sure, I've been to some. Usually because someone else wanted to go (such as the basic b**** bachelor party) or for business reasons.....but I've never been a fan of them personally. Typically my girlfriends have been as attractive or more so than what you'd find in a "Gentleman's Club", I don't have to pay them for lapdances, and (with a few notable exceptions) they weren't out trying to suck a bag full of random dicks every week. I've always thought those kinds of places were for either super immature guys or guys who struggled to get female attention. I just feel like people who had access to that kind of thing at a similar or higher quality for free really shouldn't be all that interested.
I just don't see hanging out with a high priced hooker as being something anyone should really brag about. Literally anyone could fork over some cash and do the same.
