Robert Griffin III reacts to Browns owner's comments on Deshaun Watson trade - "First step towards recovery"
The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of an important offseason. They have admitted for the first time that their 2022 trade for Deshaun Watson was a big mistake, indicating that they're dealing with the ramifications of the investment.
During the league's annual meeting, owner Jimmy Haslam mentioned the number of draft picks involved in the deal. The Browns had sent three first-round picks to the Houston Texans to acquire the quarterback:
"We swung and missed big on Deshaun. We believed we had the quarterback. We didn't, and we paid too many draft picks to have him. So we've got to dig ourselves out of the hole."
Former quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin, who played for the Browns, praised Haslams' decision to admit his mistakes, adding that it's the first step toward putting the franchise back into contention:
"The Deshaun Watson trade is the WORST TRADE in NFL history, but we all knew that already. Jimmy and Dee Haslam admitting it is the first step towards recovery for the Cleveland Browns organization and their fans on their journey to find their franchise quarterback," Griffin tweeted.
Cleveland has the second overall pick in the 2025 draft, and over the past few days, the likelihood of the franchise picking quarterback Shedeur Sanders has grown massively.
Adding a new passer would give them a good chance of fixing the position, while letting go of Deshaun Watson's cap hit.
Kevin Stefanski preaches stability in quarterback position for the Browns
During the NFL annual meeting, coach Stefanski spoke on how important it's for the franchise to stabilize the quarterback position:
"I think that's obviously the goal," Stefanski said of having a quarterback who can play the whole season.
"I think you look at the teams that are having sustained success that comes from having that quarterback that's there and healthy. Unfortunately, we haven't been healthy at that position and that's a huge challenge."
The trade for Deshaun Watson set back the franchise for years. However, they had also missed on Baker Mayfield as the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft — he went on to play for other franchises before landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After a new Achilles injury in December, Watson isn't expected to play in the 2025 season.