A picture—perhaps one taken from the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia—is worth a thousand words, as you’ve heard before.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry must be one for brevity, then, because he delivered a snapshot of the team’s season in merely 21.
Standing in the majestic mountain backdrop of The Greenbrier last month as the Browns opened training camp, Berry spoke about quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“Our biggest focus with Deshaun is just making sure that he’s available,” Berry said. “I think the rest will take care of itself.”
You don’t say.
Still just 28, Watson counts youth on his side, if not durability. His lack of appearances and production since joining the Browns in 2022 are well-publicized.
An 11-game suspension stemming from multiple accusations of sexual misconduct curtailed most of his debut season with the Browns. A season-ending shoulder injury Watson suffered on November 12 in Baltimore limited him in 2023. It also paved the way for veteran Joe Flacco to vacate his couch and help guide Cleveland to 11 wins and a berth in the AFC playoffs.
Keeping Watson upright ahead of the September 8 season opener against Dallas remains the goal, with the Browns banking on their QB turning a corner so long as he simply gets there. But wouldn’t it benefit the Browns to trot him out for a series or two in the preseason?
It’s been more than nine months, after all, since Watson faced a pass rush in a game situation, exhibition or otherwise. His completion percentage in 12 starts with the Browns is a meager 59.8.
In mid-August, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski indicated the plan was for Watson to start Saturday as Cleveland visits the Seattle Seahawks in its preseason finale.
Those snaps would mark the first of the preseason for Watson, who experienced what the team called “general arm soreness” this week, possibly muddling his status for Saturday even as Stefanski said the injury wasn’t overly concerning.
Another factor: Injuries along the offensive line, namely at left tackle, where Germain Ifedi is transitioning after spending all but four snaps of his 102-game, 83-start career on the right side.
Although Watson missed just one practice in training camp, he didn’t appear in the first two preseason games. That seems to jibe with the confidence Berry and the organization have in Watson, a would-be franchise talent who, again, hasn’t shown fans much since joining the Browns two years ago.
The Browns returned much of that talent and swagger from last season and added former first-round draft pick Jerry Jeudy to a receiving corps headlined by seven-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper.
Unlike Watson, Jeudy hasn’t practiced much during the preseason. In step with the Browns’ apparent approach to their quarterback, though, he believes that a switch, a next level, or whatever you want to call it can be activated once the season starts.
“A baller’s a baller,” Jeudy said this week. “If you’re a football player, it don’t matter—Week 1, preseason, no preseason, Week 5. If you’re a baller, you’re gonna go out there and ball, no matter what.”
Is Watson a baller? The Browns surely thought so when they included three first-round draft picks as part of the haul to acquire him.
His opportunities to ball the past two seasons have been limited. Watson knows he must perform far better when the next chance comes next month.
