Why were Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam not present at Deshaun Watson's press conference?
watson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Deshaun Watson was acquired by the Cleveland Browns via trade from the Houston Texans during the 2022 NFL offseason.
The move sparked a certain amount of controversy as Watson sat out the entire 2021 NFL season while dealing with legal issues.
He was ultimately excused from facing any criminal charges after a grand jury decided there wasn't enough evidence to proceed. However, Deshaun Watson is still facing 22 civil lawsuits that are currently unresolved.
Despite the pending cases, the Browns organization decided to proceed with the trade anyway, confidently backing the superstar quarterback. On March 25, Watson held his highly anticipated introductory press conference with the Cleveland Browns.
As expected, he will face many uncomfortable and difficult questions about his current legal situation. The Browns organization would also be expected to answer similar questions.
Deshaun Watson, asked if he has any regrets: "I don't have any regrets. Like I said, the things off the field right now that came up caught me by surprise because I never did anything that these people are alleging."
https://t.co/3i87t1yCjo
Somewhat shockingly, Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam weren't present at the press conference to answer questions.
They claim to currently be out of the country on a previous obligation, which is why they chose not to attend the press conference. The Haslam's decision was a bit strange given the magnitude and controversial nature of the trade.
The biggest question of the day that is unanswered to this point:
"Why are Dee and Jimmy Haslam not in Berea today?"
Very controversial signing, most guaranteed money in NFL history and they're not here...
Rather than Jimmy and Dee Haslam joining their new quarterback and face of their franchise, they instead sent just general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski to sit on the podium with Watson. The Haslams followed up with a separate press conference of their own via Zoom shortly following the main one.
#Browns owner Dee Haslam on their decision to trade for Deshaun Watson https://t.co/HjeS3GLZj4
The Browns organization explained that they looked deeply into the entire situation over the past five months before determining Deshaun Watson was a suitable option. They came to the conclusion that they believed in him and his character enough to proceed with the trade while fully supporting his process of recovery.
#Browns GM Andrew Berry says the team has looked into Deshaun Watson for the last 5 months. They used private investigators.
He says they were advised by attorneys not to speak to the 22 women to not interfere with ongoing investigations.
"We do have faith in him as a person."
What did the Browns give up to acquire Deshaun Watson?
As it turns out, the compensation on the blockbuster trade has changed: Browns now are giving up six draft picks for Deshaun Watson; also instead of giving up a 2024 5th-round pick, it’s now a 2024 6th-round pick, per today’s wire. https://t.co/Y98WFPmYeE
The Browns gave up a massive package of draft picks to acquire their new quarterback, including three first-rounders, one third-rounder and two fourth-rounders. They received Watson and a sixth-rounder when the trade was made official.
In addition to the blockbuster deal, the Browns offered Deshaun Watson a brand new contract, making him the highest paid NFL player of all time. The deal includes a record-setting 230 million dollars of fully guaranteed money over the next five years.