Add the Browns to the list of teams making a push for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
While Cleveland has been linked as a potential match for Watson for some time, Pro Football Network reported that the team will meet with Watson on Tuesday, making the Browns the third team to meet with the quarterback. Pro Football Network reported that he met with the Panthers and Saints on Monday, and noted that both teams submitted trade offers for Watson.
The surge of teams making a push for Watson comes days after a grand jury decided not to indict him on sexual assault allegations. Watson still faces 22 civil lawsuits filed by women accusing him of sexual assault and harassment, and he could still be suspended by the NFL. Watson has denied the accusations.
MORE: Deshaun Watson legal situation, explained
Following a disappointing 2021 season, the Browns are expected to have a busy offseason looking to solidify themselves as a title contender. They traded to pick up wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cowboys.
Cleveland has reportedly been exploring options for a new signal-caller in 2022. Baker Mayfield, the first overall pick in 2018, had the worst season of his NFL career in 2021, completing just 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,010 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as he battled through a shoulder injury. He had offseason surgery to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder that he played through during much of the campaign. The Browns exercised his fifth-year option for the 2022 season, and he is currently in line to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
In his last season with the Texans, Watson passed for 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, while completing 70.2 percent of his passes.
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Cleveland.com reported that the meeting between the Browns and Watson indicates that Cleveland has shown it will be willing to give up several draft picks and even Mayfield, though the Browns' current starting QB might not be part of the deal.
Yahoo Sports reported that the Texans are looking for "five assets," according to a source, that would include first-round draft picks and second-round picks or players. The Browns have the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, while the Panthers are at sixth and the Saints are at 18th.
If the Browns add Watson, they'd also be taking on his four-year, $156 million contract, which is set to pay him $35 million in 2022 with a cap hit of $40 million, according to Spotrac. Cleveland.com reported that the Browns would have to get Mayfield's contract out and clear more cap space to pay for Watson. Spotrac listed the Browns as having just over $11 million in cap space.
MORE: NFL free agency tracker
But the Browns, and others hoping to acquire Watson, still have a murky situation to navigate. According to Yahoo Sports, Watson will, for the first time, answer questions under oath on Tuesday in a deposition following the grand jury's decision not to indict him. He had previously invoked the Fifth Amendment until the grand jury proceedings were over.
While Watson's testimony will not be public, the NFL and its teams will reportedly attempt to learn what he says, per Yahoo Sports.
In addition to teams hoping to learn about Watson's testimony, they will also be waiting to find out whether he will be suspended. With the grand jury deliberations complete, the NFL will now resume its investigation into Watson, and even without an indictment, Watson could still face a suspension. The NFL suspended Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger under the league's personal conduct policy in 2010 despite not being charged with a crime in a case involving accusations of sexual assault.
