Every time Deshaun Watson puts up video game-like stats for the Texans and Carson Wentz delivers a win for the Eagles, it happens.
While Watson and Wentz are looking like long-term franchise quarterbacks in the NFL, everybody keeps bringing up the team that traded out of its opportunity to draft either QB — the Browns.
Whatever you think about Cleveland stockpiling picks vs. going for a potentially special talent, thinking Watson and Wentz would be doing what they are doing this season if they were in Cleveland is futile and misguided.
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In Houston and Philadelphia, Watson and Wentz both were put in much better positions for near-immediate success, so comparing their production to DeShone Kizer's rookie struggles means little. They entered the league as more polished and accomplished big-armed, athletic passers, while Kizer was more a developmental type. Watson and Wentz clearly were better pro prospects and were drafted in the first round accordingly.
This is about whether the Browns would have provided Watson or Wentz the same favorable environment in which to thrive.
The answer is a resounding no.
Watson went to one of the league's better head coaches/play-callers in Bill O'Brien. Although the Texans had a bit of a mess on the offensive line, especially with left tackle Duane Brown's holdout, their game-breaking skill players were tailored to Watson's strengths — scrambling to keep plays alive and running when necessary. DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller are speedy wideouts with first-round pedigree, and Lamar Miller has proven reliable, durable and versatile as a feature back.
The Texans also had been a good team, having won two consecutive AFC South titles. The initial thought in selecting Watson was that he wouldn't need to do too much with J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus fronting a good defense. Watson instead has had to become playmaker over caretaker by necessity, and he has done it with playground passing while he improves with every game.
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The Eagles were a middle-of-the-pack NFC team when they moved up aggressively to get Wentz in the 2016 draft. They felt good about some of their established offensive talent, especially their strong offensive line and go-to tight end Zach Ertz, and thought another offensive-minded coach such as Doug Pederson could get much more out of the group than misfit Chip Kelly could. The chance to make a late trade with Sam Bradford allowed them to accelerate Wentz's anointment.
Wentz inherited good pass protection and a top security blanket, but with little else beyond that, he ended up producing only a slightly above-average rookie season. The Eagles realized the need for a true No. 1 receiver to stretch the field and a big back to improve their rushing attack, and Alshon Jeffery and LeGarrette Blount were ideal available players. Wentz showed the goods last season, and with key upgrades offering top-level support, it's not surprising to watch him put it all together in MVP-like form.
The Browns had their top left tackle in Joe Thomas, but only by adding guard Kevin Zeitler and center J.C. Tretter did the line turn into somewhat of a strength in 2017. Their receiving corps has been a mess the past two seasons, and the one bright spot, Terrelle Pryor, has proved elsewhere that his production was more flash than substance. Neither an aging Gary Barnidge last year nor a fresh David Njoku this year is close to the top receiving options in Houston and Philadelphia.
Then there's Browns coach Hue Jackson. O'Brien and Pederson had a much more successful track record working with QBs. Jackson got the best out of Andy Dalton, but that's about it.
O'Brien, far removed from Tom Brady, was simply waiting for the Texans to actually go after a good QB. He still made Brian Hoyer and Ryan Fitzpatrick look better than they should have. Pederson was made to be matched with a passer who shares the many positive attributes of Alex Smith, and there was a plan in place to pair him with Wentz.
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We'll never know how bad Watson and Wentz might have been in Cleveland, the NFL's QB graveyard, but luckily for them, they were spared having to take those potential early career-killing lumps, and both wound up in the good place. For a pair of passers who led their college teams to national championships, the NFL's ultimate loser program would have affected their confidence, which has been huge for them with the Texans and Eagles.
Selfishly, for the rest of us who get treated to dazzling highlights from Watson and Wentz every week, the Browns taking one of them and ruining him would have been worse than passing on him in the draft.
