“That’s going to lead to regret” - NFL analyst criticizes Browns' offseason antics, says their time in the spotlight is nearly over
The Cleveland Browns have been in the spotlight throughout the offseason and one analyst feels that’s about to come to an end.
Cleveland famously fell out with their former quarterback Baker Mayfield after trading for Deshaun Watson. Watson came with a huge amount of baggage after being hit with 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits. Twenty of those have since been settled. The debacle has severely damaged his and the team's public image.
On the Fox Sports 1 show Speak for Yourself, Emmanuel Acho said that Cleveland will regret the way they conducted themselves in the offseason. He thinks 2022 could be a humbling experience for the franchise, who have come a long way in the last four years.
Here's what he said:
“They will regret trading Baker Mayfield this season. The operative phrase here is this season. We know this much about Cleveland: Deshaun Watson is a phenomenal quarterback. But boy is he in some hot water."
He continued:
"He got some civil cases that are outstanding. Some civil cases that are pending, so the Browns likely will not have a starting quarterback this season. Deshaun Watson is gone... If you are a Cleveland fan, you've gotten acclimated to attention and you've gotten acclimated to wins.”
Acho added:
“Last four years, the Browns have had attention and in one of those four years they've had wins. So, in the last four years in the Baker Mayfield tenure, Cleveland fans have either had attention or they have had wins."
He concluded by saying:
"Please understand me when I say this: once the Deshaun Watson suspension is put in place and put to rest, the Browns will have neither attention nor wins. That's going to lead to regret.”
#Browns Deshaun Watson Suspension Rumors
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The Cleveland Browns are in a difficult position ahead of the 2022 season
This offseason, Cleveland traded for Watson and gave him a five-year, fully-guaranteed $230 million contract. They also moved on from Mayfield, trading him to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2024 fourth- or fifth-round pick.
In the trade, the Panthers will take on $4.85 million of Mayfield's salary, while Cleveland will take on $10.5 million. The quarterback agreed to shift the rest of his $18.8 million salary into incentives to make the deal, which is pending a physical, easier.
After months of speculation and months of work for all parties, Baker Mayfield is now a Panther. And Jacoby Brissett is now the #Browns solution for a Deshaun Watson absence. twitter.com/rapsheet/statu…
With Mayfield gone and Watson possibly suspended for the 2022 season, all signs point to veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett being under center when the campaign kicks off. This is not necessarily a disaster, as he has gone 14-23 as a starter in his career. He has thrown 36 touchdowns against 17 interceptions.
Running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are arguably the best tandem in the NFL and if utilized properly, they can dictate the pace of games and be a red-zone threat. With a strong defense that includes Myles Garrett, there's no reason why the Browns can't be a playoff side in 2022.
We’ll see how Cleveland fares this campaign after a tempestuous offseason.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Speak for Yourself and H/T Sportskeeda.