thrilled that the Brazoria County grand jury, cleared
DeShaun, Watson of the one remaining criminal allegation.
We've known all along what people who learn the facts.
Also know
DeShaun, Watson committed, no crimes. In fact, two separate
grand juries have now found that there wasn't even
probable, cause to believe he committed a crime, that gets
back to what we were talking about. Earlier.
The grand jury makes decisions based on what the prosecutor
puts on the tee. And the prosecutor has
incredibly broad leeway to decide what will
And won't be presented and how it will and won't be
presented to a grand jury.
So it's possible that.
Even if the worst of the allegations are accurate, it
technically doesn't become a crime, under the laws of
the State of Texas.
Although based upon some of the allegations we've seen, I find
that hard to believe
and I think Watson's Camp was at least bracing for
the possibility of some misdemeanor indictments,
but
that still doesn't change. The fact that you have twenty two
separate lawsuits Peter, where there are allegations
of a violation of persons rights, the sexual assault.
And other misconduct. And
hey, if he wins all 22 more power to him,
and he apparently plans to fight all 22. That's
a different issue. We need to get into. He apparently intends to
fight all 22, and he may win all 22, but somewhere between
one and twenty two, you get to a point where I agree with you,
you take a step back and say what's really going on here
and you had four teams throw caution to the wind because of
competition broke out for the services of the shawl Watson
and they jumped into it and once it ended in the dust
started.
That I think that's when
people started to say, wait a minute. Is this a competition
that even should have happened? And
we'll see.
Mike one team that lost here. I can tell you
because I've spoken to this team
to a high ranking employee of this team can tell you one.
Team is glad they lost.
And you know, it's easy to say that after the fact, I'm sure
they would have,
you know, said all these laudable things.
But you know, I believe that.
That one of the reasons why at least one of these teams lost
is that this team was not willing to do anything with
the contract
and you know, if you're if you're trying
aggressively,
you know to to
to really get a player.
Okay, and you you do everything you can
you know to try to get the player.
That's one thing which I think that's where the Cleveland
Browns are.
But at least one of the teams involved was not willing to do
anything with the contract. And so,
you know, I've had a lot of people say to me in the last
few days. Oh, you should be critical of all four teams for
going after.
Well, I I would like to see first of all.
Hui. If somebody else got him,
what were the conditions under, which they signed him? Did they
give him a new contract? Did they come out and say
we have full trust that he never did anything that he's
being charged whatever.
Or
you know, would they take the guy, the player under
the existing contract and say
he's got a lot of proving to do
and we're going to really hope this turns out great because
he's a great football player, but let's not make any About
him right now.
Somebody comes out and says that I say good. That's the way
that this should have been handled.
Well and
Peter, one of the things that I think everyone lost sight of on
this
DeShaun Watson didn't want out of Houston because of his
contract for months before he started campaigning for
a trade. He signed a 40 million dollar per year contract. He
was due to make 35
million fully guaranteed this season.
He had a 17 million dollar, roster bonus,
do next. March that became fully guaranteed in late March,
but when you manage,
To
setting aside the criminal aspect to this.
When you manage to create
a competition, a four-way tug-of-war
for this guy's services and the Texans did a brilliant job of
basically pre-qualifying any interested team before they
could even talk to the Shawn. Because the worst case scenario
for the Texans is only one team to show them. Want to play for.
Then you got no leverage when it's time
to negotiate a trade,
you had four teams at satisfied, your minimum expectations
and they battled it out to get the Sean Watson
and Jimmy. I'm decided. I have to have this guy. And how am
I going to do it? I'm going to give him 46 million a year.
Fully guaranteed for five years
and fine. That's fine. But you know what? There's a chance
you're going to be paying him,
all that money this year and he's not going to play at all,
because you going to fight these cases
and they're not going to be resolved
and someone who has kept his mouth shut for a year and may
keep it shut for several more months because the league has
learned don't do anything until you have to
possibility of paid. Leave is still out there. Peter.
And I don't think Watson's. Yep. Understands that I think
that they believe
that they're either going to get a suspension now six games.
In the aftermath of the grand jury's work
or the NFL is not going to do anything until the cases are
resolved. There was a belief by the Dolphins last year that
because they wanted all cases to be settled before they
traded for him.
That if the cases would have been settled. It would have
been a six game suspension last year. So it's the six games
now, or,
cases, settle or otherwise, resolved,
maybe six game, suspension later,
but in the interim, he can play.
See, I think there is an outcome to this
potentially.
We're Watson's under the impression. He's good to go.
The Browns are under the impression.
He's good to go.
And the commissioner says as week, one of the pre season
approaches,
you're not playing
while these cases are pending is too many.
There's too many.
We can't let you play your on, paid leave and it's not
punishment. The NFL is on record for 8 years. Now,
with what I think is a misguided take that it's not
punishment. If the player is being paid
because I think the punishment is not letting him play. This
isn't a paid vacation for somebody who hates their job.
This is paid leave. While you're prevented from doing
the things you love to do. And the thing you want to do, which is
play football,
but they'll do it. They won't hesitate to do it
because they don't want the 2022.
To be undermined by every Cleveland Browns, game being
presented with the broadcast Partners having to point out
that that guy out there. Playing quarterback for
the Browns, has 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct
pending against him
because at the end of the day,
there's still a lot of football fans that don't know
and they're not going to find out until the NFL is forced to
tell everybody about it during Browns games. That's why they
do this. And that's the thing Peter
that Watson
& malagueta
and Harden and Haslem.
And Andrew Berry and Kevin stefanski. They all better be
ready for it
because I've already heard the Rumblings that it's coming.
If these cases don't get settled, that's why I said A
week ago, when we heard about the trade, first thing, I said
on PFT p.m. Take that money, that you just got DeShaun
Watson.
And,
and settle. These cases, give these 22 individuals,
the Justice, they want, and turn the page on this and move on.
That's the only play right now
and I don't think that's going to happen.
I think he's going to keep fighting,
and I think he believes there's a, there's a way
that he gets 22 outcomes in his favor
in The Civil. Quartz.
How incredible would it be if two things happen?
One
that DeShaun Watson got 46 million dollars this year
and never took a snap.
Number two,
if his suspension came
in 2023,
when the suspension would be based on
every week would be 1/18 of 46 million. And I'll tell you
this.
The NFL had better not allow
that contract next year.
In this case, to be Rewritten.
The NFL had better
adjudicate this based on the fact that if he does get
suspended next year,
he gets suspended based on
his salary of 46 million.
Not some phony,
1 million dollar salary that, you know, that Haslam
or the Browns. I shouldn't say, you know, but it's possible
that they would try to do that
to help out to Sean.
That's it. So both of those would be incredible.
They either one of them would be incredible.
Both would be the kind of double whammy that would show
what a huge mistake.
This contract. At this
time. I'm not saying this contract is going to turn out
to be stupid. But at this time it just makes no sense.
There's another approach that the NFL could take they could
impose a suspension based upon
what? They currently know
the behavior that currently happened
and I know people say, well, how can you suspend him?
If he wasn't charged with a crime,
go back and study the Ben Roethlisberger case. And
frankly, the letter that was sent by the commissioner to
Roethlisberger in 2010. You can take chunks of that and say
that applies directly
to DeShaun Watson,
its behaviors that require an intervention. There's been
an admission by Rusty Harden that that these massages that
he actively sought out
that Watson actively sought out on social media
at times. Came voluntarily sexual encounter. So there,
you know the commissioner could very easily say
there's something here that requires therapy and counseling and
and absence from the game.
They could do that. While the case is play out and reserve
the right to suspend him even more, if they choose once
the case is play out. But but you still have a window of DeShaun
Watson playing in 2022, where these cases are still pending.
I
just think he needs
to settle the case as in Peter,
when Tom Brady was facing this for game to play. A gate
suspension, the Patriots did exactly the thing that you
said, the brown shouldn't be allowed to do next year. They
already did it this year on the way in the door with
a ridiculously,
those salary that minimizes the impact of a suspension,
but Tom Brady's contract was reworked and his salary
plummeted and it minimized the impact of his suspension. The
NFL has allowed that loophole to exist in plain sight and
multiple players have taken advantage of it.
And the Browns, would say, next year. We're doing this for cap
reasons. We're doing it for cap reasons, and it doesn't matter
what. Say the league has allowed it,
maybe instead of plugging this goofy loophole that they want
to plug that a team. That's not in the playoffs. If it cuts
a player a playoff team can't sign and that's something that
rarely happens.
Maybe this is the loophole they should plug, maybe if
the suspension should just be based on the cap. Number the money
that you lose isn't your game check. You have to Forfeit
the cap. Number that applies to that game. The proration of
the signing bonus everything
because the cap number is always larger. And when you do
that, That signing bonus. That's what when you extend it.
That's what happens. Your salary is low,
but your cap number is higher. There's got to be another way.
Is my point to prevent what what you rightfully are
pointing out
that it's too easy and it's too simple. If he's suspended next
year for the Browns to dramatically reduce what
the financial exposure would be for Deshaun Watson.
You know, the last thing I'll say about this is that it's
just the sad part of this. And I've heard from several too
many Browns fans who were disgusted with what happened,
but the other part of it that is probably, you know, more,
you know,
as disgusting or more. So is that is the amount of money
that and we'll see how it ends up playing out, but he's
already Made all of his money in 2021
for not playing football
and we'll see how much money he's going to make in the future
again for not playing football. If indeed,
he is either put on the Commissioners exempt list or
when any suspension does come down,
but,
you know, he will make potentially, you know, if you
judge it really on total compensation for that year.
I mean, who knows how much money he'll be? He'll be making
20 30, maybe even 40 million dollars,
you know, to not play football. And it's just
the whole thing is
the biggest tail. Wagging the dog thing I've ever seen since.
In the years. I've covered the NFL.