00:00Deshaun Watson yesterday had his first 300-yard passing game
00:03as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
00:06It was really good, went well.
00:08He ran for a touchdown, did a nice job.
00:13And Dan's already mentioned the date,
00:15and it's the drop-dead date for when he has to be on the roster next year
00:19and everything else.
00:20And by all indications,
00:23we would assume that Deshaun will get released at some point
00:30because of all of the financial ramifications.
00:32That doesn't mean he can't be back here.
00:36And I don't know exactly all the financials,
00:40if they can work something out beforehand
00:42and circumvent that date or whatever.
00:44There's obviously stuff to work out
00:47if you decide you want to move forward with him as your quarterback.
00:50And the way, combine these factors, Andy,
00:53the way he's played this year,
00:55the way the team has played with him at quarterback,
00:58and the way that college quarterbacks in the class of 2027
01:05seem to be falling out of contention to be first-round picks,
01:08let alone first overall picks,
01:11even first-round picks,
01:13might make you think the Browns have to come up with a plan B here
01:16if their plan A was to draft a guy.
01:19And maybe Deshaun Watson is that plan.
01:22But there's an interesting story
01:25that was written over the weekend
01:26by Jonathan Jones from The Athletic.
01:29And I thought it was very,
01:32I thought it was really interesting.
01:34Jonathan Jones is a real good NFL writer,
01:38said that Deshaun has a chance to extend his stay in Cleveland.
01:40And this was before yesterday.
01:42Okay.
01:43It was before yesterday.
01:45And then Jones says, however,
01:47his lack of options elsewhere
01:51could leave him with little leverage at the negotiating table.
01:55Other than here?
01:56Other than here.
01:57Yeah.
01:58And this is one thing that,
02:02this is one thing I think is really interesting about this moving forward.
02:05There was a league source that Jonathan talked to
02:09on Deshaun's situation.
02:12And he said this about Deshaun.
02:16Cleveland,
02:16it's the only line on a starting quarterback job that he'll have.
02:25It's the only line on a starting quarterback job he'll have.
02:30Otherwise,
02:30he's probably looking at a situation where he would be a stopgap guy.
02:35Right?
02:36Well,
02:37maybe.
02:37But you would think he might be that here, too.
02:41Yeah.
02:41And then the source told Jones one more thought here.
02:44He said,
02:45on one hand,
02:45if Watson continues playing at this level,
02:47the team,
02:49the Browns,
02:49would feel the need to retain him.
02:51Agree.
02:52On the other hand,
02:53what leverage would he conceivably have outside of Cleveland?
03:01I mean,
03:02there were other teams that did like him when the Browns brought him in,
03:05right?
03:05That was a long time ago.
03:06I know.
03:07That was a long time ago.
03:08I know.
03:10Charlotte was one of the teams.
03:12Atlanta was one of the teams.
03:15Yeah,
03:15I would say.
03:16Charlotte has Bryce Young.
03:18Atlanta has Michael Penix for now.
03:23We'll see.
03:24But I,
03:24I wonder about that.
03:26I'd think,
03:27you guys tell me,
03:29I would think it,
03:30the Browns brought Deshaun in.
03:32We all know the,
03:33we all know all the stories.
03:35We all know the injuries.
03:36But,
03:38I would think he would still be a tough sell to another fan base.
03:43Yeah.
03:45Well,
03:45I just think we're used to it.
03:46A tough sell for another franchise.
03:48Right.
03:48That we,
03:48we were kind of like,
03:49okay,
03:49if you can,
03:51I,
03:51I think my question for Deshaun is.
03:53He's playing here for us right now,
03:54and everybody is content with his on the field play.
03:59He's done a nice job coming back after not playing for two years.
04:02Yeah,
04:02I've actually kind of,
04:05I've lowered the,
04:06I don't know,
04:06lowered the standard,
04:07but lowered the threshold for him returning.
04:11At first,
04:11I was like,
04:12well,
04:12the only way he's there,
04:13they're going to try to figure something out with him if they wanted to,
04:16would be Super Bowl or bust.
04:17But,
04:18I kind of don't feel,
04:20I kind of feel like that's being lessened now.
04:22It's still playoffs.
04:23But,
04:24is there a way that they could make this current contract by getting rid of
04:32some of the things and stretching it out and getting,
04:35because I don't think at any point prior to this season,
04:39anybody thought he would be here past the day that,
04:42that Dan always talks about.
04:44The more they could get rid of him.
04:45Yeah.
04:45I,
04:45I think now though,
04:47the more wins they get,
04:49that the more they may be apt to try to come up with a way to redefine that,
04:55I mean,
04:55can they redefine the contract?
04:58That's the question I have.
05:00Like,
05:00being able to,
05:01I,
05:02again,
05:03when it comes to all the financials and the contract stuff,
05:06I'm not,
05:06I'm not your guy.
05:07Yeah.
05:08I'm not your guy,
05:08but you can,
05:11you seemingly can do just about anything you want in the NFL to retain a
05:16player.
05:17You know?
05:18Yeah.
05:18You can somehow figure it out.
05:20They've figured out how to kick it down the road.
05:23Like crazy.
05:23What does that do?
05:24If they try and keep them,
05:25what,
05:26what all the money that's down the road?
05:28I,
05:28I don't know.
05:29I would think it would be real easy for the Browns to figure out a way to
05:33keep them.
05:34If,
05:34if not for the,
05:36the question to me would be this,
05:38maybe more than anything,
05:39Andy,
05:40if you're Deshaun and your contracts up and you just,
05:44let's just say,
05:45let's say they continue.
05:46Let's say they go 500 the rest of the way and actually win 10 games.
05:49Okay.
05:50And he stays healthy.
05:51Yeah.
05:52Why wouldn't he want to stay here?
05:55Because he's tired of it.
05:56He's just tired of everything that's happened here.
05:57And then he would have the opportunity as a free agent to move on.
06:00I'm just talking about.
06:01Right.
06:01But it's a different deal now.
06:03New coach.
06:04Yeah.
06:04You're not injured.
06:06Success.
06:06He seems happier.
06:08The question to me would be how much money would he want?
06:12And how much would,
06:14how much would they have to pay a premium to keep him?
06:16Like that's,
06:17I'm like,
06:17that's,
06:17that's my,
06:19that's my question.
06:19If they let him go,
06:20the other teams aren't going to pay that premium.
06:22I would think that's correct.
06:25I think that's correct.
06:27And so I,
06:28I would just,
06:30if I'm the Browns,
06:32I might have to play it.
06:34I'd have to take a hard stance here and just think,
06:37okay,
06:38you can go check out free agency and know that we will offer you this.
06:43But I don't know if they're past that point though.
06:45You know what I'm saying?
06:46Would you want to pay him?
06:47You'd have to pay him out.
06:48Would you want to do that?
06:49To get to that point?
06:49Would you want to pay him something moving forward?
06:51Like a Baker Mayfield contract?
06:54Three years,
06:55165.
06:56I don't know that if you're the Browns,
06:58that seem pretty right though.
07:00I mean,
07:00forget about all the,
07:02is that right?
07:03It's the going rate for quarterback play.
07:05Yeah.
07:06I mean,
07:07it's,
07:07but do you want to go there again and bank on the Sean being able to last
07:13three more years in a contract?
07:14I just feel like the only way you think you get them on a one-year deal.
07:18Do you?
07:21But who else is going to tell me if I'm crazy.
07:22Who else is going to give him multi-year?
07:24But I don't think this is a one-year deal.
07:26I think this is a somehow or another manipulating the contract that he's
07:31currently under and trying to extend it that way.
07:35Because you can't.
07:36The contract is up.
07:37It doesn't have to.
07:38Do you understand what I'm saying?
07:39No.
07:39Well,
07:39you can certainly give him a new deal.
07:43Am I talking nonsense?
07:45Because I just kind of feel like the only way they're going to get around if they
07:48want him to stay without having to drop a check for $200 million is to renegotiate
07:55and kind of.
07:56Yeah.
07:57So how does that work?
07:57Money's been paid.
07:58Money has been paid.
07:59It's the penalties that are there.
08:01Right.
08:02So if you were,
08:03you could extend him in some way off of that deal,
08:06because there's a bunch of dummy years on that deal.
08:09Well,
08:09those dummy years then become legit years.
08:11Right.
08:11That you can then do stuff on.
08:14Now,
08:14you would also.
08:15But he's.
08:17Unless you give him more money.
08:19Correct.
08:20Which I.
08:21Personally,
08:21I'm not giving him another dime.
08:23So you're going to need to.
08:25They're going to figure something else out.
08:26Listen.
08:2710 and 7.
08:27Yeah.
08:28What if they win a playoff game?
08:29I don't care.
08:30There's no scenario where you can see where.
08:32If they won the Super Bowl,
08:34you're not bringing him back?
08:34I'm done.
08:36If they win the Super Bowl,
08:37you wouldn't bring him back.
08:38Are we really going to put that on the table?
08:40I'm just throwing it out there.
08:41Because you've got to leave everything out there.
08:43Fine.
08:43Super Bowl changes all of the math that would put on there.
08:47Okay.
08:49I.
08:49I just think you need to be ready.
08:51We're not doing this today.
08:52There's not enough time and there's not enough thought.
08:54All I would say is,
08:55yes,
08:55you can.
08:56You can extend him off of this.
08:58You can restructure parts of it in between.
09:01Yeah.
09:01The money.
09:03The money.
09:04But the penalty levels that are owed down the road.
09:06Just to clarify.
09:07Just to put a button on it.
09:08There would still be penalties and that stuff that are in between.
09:11There.
09:11But you would be able to spread it out a little farther.
09:14Okay.
09:16But how long do you want to go with it?
09:19And if you have a chance to get a quarterback in 2027,
09:22are you still going to do it?
09:24Questions to be determined down the road.
09:26But right now,
09:28you know,
09:29let's,
09:29now,
09:31I don't mean to,
09:33I'll play devil's advocate here.
09:34Okay.
09:35Last year's game was very similar to this year's game against Tennessee.
09:40I don't know if anybody noticed that.
09:42Yeah.
09:42A lot.
09:43Shadour had his best.
09:43There's more points last year.
09:44Well,
09:44Shadour had 364 yards passing against Tennessee last year.
09:49Mm-hmm.
09:49Three touchdowns.
09:50And Tony Pollard ran for 161.
09:52So,
09:53so two real strong thoughts from last year's game carried over.
09:58Brown's quarterback passed for over 300 yards and Tony Pollard lit him up.
10:03So,
10:04okay.
10:05Is it Tennessee?
10:05Was it our quarterback?
10:06Whatever.
10:07There's more to come here with Deshaun.
10:09We'll see what happens against the Steelers.
10:11We'll see what happens going down the road.
10:13But after winning five of the first seven,
10:16if they just win five of the next 10,
10:18that's a 10-win season.
10:20And that's,
10:21that alone,
10:22Andy,
10:23that alone gives you a real shot at the playoffs.
10:27Does it not?
10:2810 and seven?
10:30Yeah.
10:31Of course it would.
10:32Yeah,
10:33exactly.
10:35So,
10:35you know,
10:36you could end up in a situation here with a quarterback on an expiring
10:40contract who takes you to the playoffs.
10:42And then you got to make a decision.
10:44You know,
10:45what,
10:45what,
10:45what way do you want to go?
10:47Well,
10:48they've got hard decisions to make,
10:49but when you're winning,
10:50they're good decisions.
10:51The difference is if Deshaun comes back.
10:55Okay.
10:55If he doesn't come back,
10:57you can go out and sign some other quarterback and bring him in here and
11:01drop him into an offense that looks like it's on its way to becoming
11:04something with a good young skill position,
11:07people,
11:08and hopefully an offensive line that is improving and giving you a chance to
11:12win some football games.
11:13By the way,
11:1415 teams have made it a 10 and seven.
11:16The biggest miss was the Seahawks in 2024.
11:18this is a probably one of the finals level.
11:18I'm going to talk to one of the
11:18best-maker games nearỏ King Anthony just
11:18where R2018 is,
11:18so I'll appreciate that.
11:18I love that business.
11:19Anything that will happen.
