It's possible that Jacoby Brissett -- not Deshaun Watson -- will be the Browns' starting quarterback in the 2022 season opener. Now who on Earth would have bet on that? (USA Today)
Browns continue QB purge: Case Keenum out, Jacoby Brissett in
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from the day after the Browns rocked the NFL – and their fan base – by agreeing to guarantee Deshaun Watson $230 million over five years …
A complete purge of the Browns’ quarterback room continued on Saturday when the Browns traded backup QB Case Keenum to Buffalo and replaced him with free agent Jacoby Brissett. The Browns won’t confirm the transactions until next week.
The Browns received Buffalo’s seventh-round draft pick in 2022. That’s minimal compensation, especially after it appeared Keenum, 34, had survived his roster spot for a third season when the deadline passed on a $1 million roster bonus payable on Friday.
A source said the Browns agreed to share a portion of the bonus payment, per terms of the trade. Keenum’s $6.1 million base salary now is the Bills’ responsibility; it contains no guarantees.
Brissett, of West Palm Beach, FL, was a personal favorite of retired Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells when New England drafted him in the third round in 2016. Brissett had two career starts with the Patriots, 30 in four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, and five last year with the Miami Dolphins.Brissett, 29, has a 14-23 record overall in career starts with 36 touchdowns against 17 interceptions and a passer rating of 83.0.
These moves follow the blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson and a total rewrite of his contract, made by owner Jimmy Haslam to change Watson’s mind and agree to play for the Browns.
Prior to these transactions, coach Kevin Stefanski reassigned assistant coach Drew Petzing from tight ends coach to quarterback coach. In the previous two season, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt doubled as the quarterback coach. Stefanski said the promotion of Petzing was made to broaden his NFL coaching experience.
A couple interesting points about Stefanski’s new quarterbacks:
1. Both have NFL-preferred size. Watson is 6-2 ½ and 221 pounds. Brissett is 6-3 ¾ and 231.
2. Neither has any experience in an offense similar to Stefanski’s zone-blocking, play-action passing system.
Controversy brewing
The Browns wanted to upgrade from Keenum because of a likely NFL suspension of Watson for the start of the 2022 season. Watson must resolve 22 civil lawsuits brought by female massage therapists alleging sexual misconduct over a period of four years.
Watson is expected to work towards settling the suits by paying off the litigants in exchange for non-disclosure agreements. That action undoubtedly would result in the NFL handing down a suspension under the league personal conduct policy.
To minimize the income lost by an NFL suspension, Watson’s agent and the Browns agreed to a minimal base salary of $1 million in 2022. Players are docked 1/18 of their base salary for every game suspended, so Watson’s per-game loss would be $55,555 if suspended.
That adjustment, plus a reported agreement by the Browns to not recoup bonus money as a result of any suspension, has added to outrage over the Browns’ perceived blindness to the gravity of the charges against Watson.
Former Browns CEO Joe Banner, the person with whom Haslam partnered upon buying the Browns from the Lerner Family Trust in 2012, has been particularly tough on the Browns. For the Website the33rdteam.com, Banner wrote:
“The Cleveland Browns not only traded for a player with 22 accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior, but they rewarded him on top of that with the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history. Financially and competitively, Watson is now better off than he was when those accusations were made.
“The Browns actually became co-conspirators in finding a way for Watson to avoid consequences for his actions even if he’s guilty in all 22 civil cases. They did this by putting a salary in year one that was so low that the impact of a suspension or fine from the league would be negligible. Even if you disagree with me and think it’s ok that the Browns traded for him, I can’t imagine how anyone would defend that the Browns have helped him avoid one of the potentially significant consequences of his actions. As wrong as I think it is to have traded for him, this contract is intentionally structured to mitigate any financial consequences even if he is guilty of some or all of the charges. I find it completely indefensible and outrageous that an NFL team would be comfortable playing that role.
“What does it say about a team, owner, and organization that not only trades for him but rewards him as if nothing ever happened? It is also interesting to note that Jimmy and Dee Haslam are partners in owning the Browns, and that she must have also been comfortable with not only signing Watson but creating a scenario where he actually benefited from these accusations.”
Banner concluded, “I find it all repugnant.”
(It should be noted that prior to the Browns’ acquisition of Watson, Banner did not raise similar concerns when he predicted Watson would end up with the Philadelphia Eagles. Banner held various executive positions with the Eagles for 17 years prior to joining the Browns in 2012.)
More cap manipulation
According to NFL Media, the Browns converted the $20 million salary due for newly acquired receiver Amari Cooper into a signing bonus and added two voidable “dummy” years to postpone cap charges into future years.
The restructuring created $15 million of salary cap room for the Browns in 2022.
The added room eventually may be used to accommodate a new deal for defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and to sign another veteran free agent wide receiver.
The Browns have been linked to Robert Woods, who was traded from the Rams to the Titans on Saturday, and to Will Fuller, Watson’s former teammate with the Texans who played for the Dolphins in 2021.
The Browns also reportedly have interest in bringing back Jarvis Landry, who was released last week after he declined a significant paycut. Landry’s feelings may have changed since the trade for Watson.
Mayfield update
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is still on the Browns’ roster.
Reported interest from the Indianapolis Colts may hinge on the availability of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. The Falcons, who came in second to the Browns in the Watson sweepstakes, may move on from Ryan rather than absorb his huge salary cap number. If so, the Colts may target Ryan as their next quarterback.
If not the Colts, Mayfield could wind up with the Seahawks, Panthers, Saints – or Falcons.
