If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has his way, Deshaun Watson will not be playing football for the Browns in 2022. (Sports Illustrated)
Roger Goodell favors severe suspension for Deshaun Watson
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Day 11 of Browns training camp …
In the matter of whether the NFL intends to throw the book at Deshaun Watson, it’s sounding like not if, but when.
At the close of league meetings in Minneapolis on Tuesday, at which NFL owners enthusiastically voted in the league’s wealthiest owner, Walmart heir Robert Walton (est. net worth: $60 billion), Commissioner Roger Goodell explained why he favors at least a year-long suspension of Watson.
A year-long suspension -- plus a hefty fine and mandatory counseling -- was what NFL investigators recommended to independent disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson. Robinson agreed with the NFL that Watson committed three violations of the league’s personal conduct policy, but she decked him only six games.
That penalty was roundly criticized as too light by women’s groups, media, fans and other NFL team owners.
“We've seen the evidence,” Goodell said to reporters. “She was very clear about the evidence. She reinforced the evidence. There were multiple violations that were egregious and it was predatory behavior. Those are things we always felt were really important for us to address in a way that’s responsible.”
Goodell will leave the final say to his appointed appeals officer, former New Jersey attorney general Peter C. Harvey, who most likely will rubber-stamp Goodell’s wishes.
Goodell said he did not know when Harvey would announce his decision.
No doubt the commissioner wanted the announcement to wait for the meetings to end so the billionaire owners could disperse back to their teams away from the national media seeking comments on the Watson case.
If Harvey, in fact, follows Goodell’s wishes, it means the NFL pulled back a settlement offer it made before Robinson’s ruling on Aug. 1. According to reports, that deal was for a 12-game suspension, a fine of $8 million and mandatory counseling for Watson. Through his legal team and the NFL Players Association, Watson rejected the settlement offer.
Now he may be banished for at least a year.
Meantime, the Browns proceeded with their normal plan on Tuesday, with Watson taking the bulk of snaps with the No. 1 offense.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson would travel with the team to Jacksonville on Wednesday. The Browns open their preseason schedule Friday night against the Jaguars. Stefanski would not reveal his quarterback rotation for the game, but previously indicated he wanted Watson to play.
It may be the only time Browns fans see Watson on the field all year.
Oh, no
A day after return specialist Jakeem Grant explained how he avoided major injury for six NFL seasons despite his diminutive size, Grant suffered an injury to his left Achilles tendon early in a one-on-one drill against cornerback A.J. Green.
It is believed to be season-ending and require immediate surgery, though the club did not confirm that.
Grant’s left Achilles gave way as Green closely covered him. He lay on his back for several minutes clutching his left leg as a trainer tended to him. Grant struggled to board a medical cart and was driven inside while in apparent pain.
“I really feel awful for Jakeem,” Stefanski said in a statement released after practice. “We’ve witnessed how hard the young man has worked since he got to our team. We all realize injuries are part of our game but that doesn’t make it any easier to accept, especially for someone that works as hard and carries himself like Jakeem.”
On Tuesday, Grant said the only injury he’s had in the NFL was to his Achilles in Week 10 of the 2018 season with the Dolphins. That injury required season-ending surgery, but it was not to repair a tear of the Achilles.
Grant was acquired in free agency to juice up the Browns’ return game, which hasn’t scored a touchdown on a punt or kickoff since the 2015 season. A three-time Pro Bowler, Grant has six career return touchdowns in six seasons.
Grant’s experience on offense – he has 100 career receptions – also was being tapped because of a rash of injuries to the receiving corps.
In just 11 days and only three in full pads, the Browns had injuries that cost practice time to David Bell (foot), Anthony Schwartz (knee), Amari Cooper (ankle), Michael Woods (hamstring) and Isaiah Weston (torn ACL). Woods is still out and Weston was waived/injured.
The loss of Grant means special teams coordinator Mike Priefer likely will resort to his ineffective committee approach to the return game. The committee probably would include D’Ernest Johnson, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Demetric Felton.
Jedrick’s painful journey
Left tackle Jedrick Wills took a lot of flak for having a setback season in his second year in 2021. He conceded the cause of it was playing through a severe ankle injury in Game 1.
Wills estimated he was at “50 percent” while playing the next three games with the injury, and then had to take two games off.
He played through the injury because the Browns had lost tackle Chris Hubbard in Game 2 and Jack Conklin in Game 6. Left guard Joel Bitonio eventually moved to tackle in the two games Wills missed. He never regained his form.
“Last year was a struggle,” Wills said. “It wasn’t a secret. Everybody knew that. Playing through injuries is one of the hardest things you can do as a player. So I’m excited for this year.”
Wills said that ultimately it was his decision to try to play through the injury.
“We had some troubles at my position,” he said. “I wasn’t the only person hurt. So if I was able to at least be out there, then I would put forth my effort, and see what I could do.”
Wills said he’s healthy now and is aware all eyes are on him to have “a turnaround year for me.”
The good news is the Browns don’t play in Kansas City this year. Wills suffered an ankle injury early in the 2020 AFC playoff game against the Chiefs and then early in the 2021 season opener in Arrowhead Stadium.
“That place is cursed,” he said with a laugh.
Brownie bits
The Browns will hold a practice on Wednesday closed to fans and media and then depart for Jacksonville – well in advance of Friday night’s preseason game. Stefanski said he’s departing an extra day early not to adjust to the sweltering Florida weather but for a team-building exercise. He declined to elaborate, saying he had not yet told the players of what he has in store …
Disgruntled running back Kareem Hunt remained back in team drills for a second successive day after a two-day hold-in in response to the team’s unwillingness to extend his contract or trade him. Stefanski would not say if things are OK with Hunt. “I would just tell you, not specific to [Hunt], but with all of our guys, we are all human,” the coach said. “We have 90 guys on this roster and all of these coaches. We are all human. We all are dealing with things outside of this building. I am respectful of that with all of our guys, and I think you have to meet everybody where they are in that moment.” …
Rookie defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, whose fiery post-draft Zoom call went viral, has toned down his act to concentrate on the business of establishing himself as a player in the Browns’ defense. "[Coordinator] Joe Woods always tells us our mantra is all bite, no bark," Winfrey said. "So I don’t feel there’s no need to be continuously barking or continuously talking. I feel like once the season comes and I start to bring that juice and start to make plays on the field, that’s when I’ll be back to doing all the antics. Right now, I’m just head down, working.”
