far as the decision of the NFL? Ultimately. I mean,
again, I don't know what's done is done to this point.
I wouldn't think it's going to have much more under the effect
of the decision that's made here unless they find something
new or some,
you know, some other type of Smoking Gun that certainly can
can make the Shawn Watson look differently, but I don't know
if it really matters in the big picture things does it.
All I know is this, there are people in the league office who
believe DeShaun Watson should not set foot on a football
field until these 22 cases are resolved and
novel thing. Missioner.
The Commissioners taken paid, leave off the table. This is
the thing in March, you don't get a whole lot of clarity at
our article, press conference. He's very Adept at
and I've written about this over the weekend, whether it
relates to the question. He was posed last week about
the difference between arbitration and open court. And why do they
go one way or the other?
He is a master. He is who
Dini at slipping out of that. And a press conference is
a perfect way to do it because all you have to do is say
enough words
to get to the point where you put a period on that answer,
because then somebody else is going to ask you a question
about some completely different topic. So you don't get a whole
lot of clarity. The one point of clarity. We got
earlier this year, March, when the league meetings happen in
Florida, was the idea that paid leave isn't a thing for this,
because if he's going to suspend him, if he's going to
take action, he's going to suspend without pay, not with
pay.
Okay? Fine,
but Here we are 99 days away from week, one from the start
of the season.
That's the Thursday night game, the Browns play on
Sunday. So there
what 102 days away from their game is a lot. That's got to
happen in 102 days. And again if I'm the Browns, I want to
know what's going on before training camp opens because
I got to figure out who
I'm getting ready for week one.
That's that's what you do at training camp, the moment. You
start right Chris.
Everything's about getting ready for the first game that counts.
Well, I'd like to know
who to start giving my reps to
in the event that the Sean Watson is going to be gone for
four, six, eight, twelve, all 17 games. I'd like to know that
so I can get your Cobra set ready or
or so. I can try to persuade Baker Mayfield. Yeah. Right to
happily participate and get ready because it's his job this
year.
Yeah. I mean exactly we talked about this last week. It's not
fair to the Cleveland Browns and Kevin stefanski. Their fan
base would say they got what they Curve though. That's
the problem. Well, I grounds got the Browns. Did this Dance with
the Devil? They get what they deserve and I'm
not suggesting Sean. Watson's is double. I'm just saying they
jumped into this. Yeah, sure the natural byproduct of doing
the trade. They did this one of the risks, they assumed.
I mean, you're definitely right. And it's that's where it's hard
to argue or shed a tear
for Cleveland or anything. There,
you know again now,
you know, yes, I would. I like them to know. Yeah. For their
sake for football sake. Sure. I would. Yes, I mean your, it's
still, you know again, yes. I know they did it. We can
disagree.
Be with it either way, but like you're talking about they're
still trying to win games and have a process to try to be
respectable but it's hard to argue that. I mean, it really
is. And again, we've talked about that a lot. The Optics of
that situation
are very odd. They really are. And you know, you talk about
the people in the NFL, not wanting him to step foot on the
air, in the NFL league office. Not wanting to step foot on the
field this year at all.
I think that that feelings around the league as well. I do
I think that's through Throughout, I do, I think you
got coaches and and I'm sure other
owners that I know you. And I have both heard from people
around the league that are pissed off at Jimmy Haslam and
this deal. The fact that this all went down. Anyways,
so I think there's even there's Groundswell everywhere as far
as being a little uncomfortable with the DeShaun Watson
situation.
And look.
On one hand, the Browns assume the risk that they're not going
to get clarity before training camp opens and that they may
not know until ripe. I look, but on the other hand, our
Defenders, there's no reason for the NFL to delay. So I'm
kind of
torn here. I don't want to be sympathetic to the Browns
because they're the ones that chose to pursue DeShaun Watson
just based upon the grand jury decision. And they just assume
that that means is exonerated. Everything's going to be fine
with the five-year 230 million dollar
fully guaranteed.
Still, there's no reason for the NFL to help not
done something by now, and to the extent that, you know, it's
one thing for the league office.
People in the league office people who run the sport
people are involved in that aspect of it to have concerns
about DeShaun Watson plank, once it trickles out to
the various teams. That's where competitive
agendas yam interplay. And it's very easy for teams to
grandstand because they want to see it Burn, Right want to see
as many of the other teams fall off as possible
and when you're looking at a stocked, AFC North,
and a stocked AFC, yeah.
Some of those other teams all of a sudden are all high and
mighty about the Cleveland Browns and how dare they do it?
Because they want to show on Watson to be gone for the year.
For competitive reasons. They want to be able to scratch
the Browns
off because there's too many damn teams out there that are
going to be highly competitive this year. They love
the 10 and then you order the NFC, the three teams that tried
to get to Sean Watson and didn't they love to see this
blow up in the faces of the Cleveland Browns. So
now now should should the Browns have anticipated?
Dad.
These moves on the chess board. Chief strategy officer Paul
depodesta. Hey, if you're going to have that title Paul, you
better have a strategy that takes into account all
the stuff that could happen. Yeah, once you do this trade, and
these are all reasons, they didn't consequences of doing
the trade. That's crazy. They didn't that's the
funniest part about it. I mean, they didn't take in
the consequences that. Oh, wait and all the other owners are pretty
pissed off about the deal and uncomfortable with
the situation and oh, yeah, that's right, you know, Rogers.
Roger Goodell is going to talk to those other 31 owners. I'm
sure and get a little feel and feedback from some of these
guys about the situation and how you should handle it. So
that doesn't help him out at all,
like, not at all.
And then you talk about
the other aspect of this is
Mike. This is where when you were talking.
I feel bad for the players on the Browns and Kevin stefanski.
That's really what I feel bad for. That's those, are the guys
I look at and feel like, man, that's where I wish the league
would hurry up.
So the players have a chance to succeed. Seed Jacobi burchett
whoever it may be stefanski, can go on with the plan. Are
you write as ownership, you know the front office. I don't
know if I feel all that bad for them,
but I don't know if some of those other people had any hand
in this. As far as the making of the situation and
the horrible strategic
approach to the whole situation. Not only that
pissed, the league off, do all of that. Here you are now.
You're not sure who your quarterback is and you're
a mess. Mess of things,
but a horrible strategy in your approach to what you did with
the guy that used to be your quarterback. And now
not only and now not only have you, you know, in some people's
eyes. Like, whoa, Cleveland's a little weird there. You have
DeShaun Watson, the greatest contract and the history of
football. And he's done all these things
and that allegedly
allegedly and now you also have on top of that, at least to me,
is the fact that
what a horrible thing. They've done to Baker, Mayfield. It's
Well, I don't know what the other way to say it
Baker. Mayfield did nothing to be stuck in this situation. He
is being screwed over and held hostage all because of wait for
it horrible strategy by strategic officers in that
building exact. I mean, yeah, that's I don't know any other
way to say it and it's pretty
like stupid when you really laugh at it because everybody
in media, anybody that knows football nose.
Just like Aaron Rodgers with Jordan. Love that if you mess
with Baker, Mayfield, it's going to piss him off and
there's no turning back. Like he just We all knew that and
they didn't seem to have a feel for that or have a plan B
is still shocking to me.
Among the various items of pushback I've received in
recent weeks. One was, why are you picking on Paul depodesta?
And my response was, if you apply the term, if you accept
the term, he didn't apply to himself but he accepted. He
presents himself to the world
as Chief strategy officer. That is a big title that implies
a lot and implies that you have a strategy that actually is
a good strategy. I don't think it's Chief bad strategy officer
and it's kind of a grandiose label
and it's a guy who came over from baseball. So there was
already going to be some natural resentment. For this
guy who I a crack, the code in baseball and crack the code in
any sport. Okay. Sure. Jan. Sure. You sure it's that easy
to jump from sport to Sport and figure out some
nuances and formulas and
equations. And you know, what? At the end of the day,
the equation is very simple. You know what the equation is
Chris. And this goes all the way back to 2014. When
the homeless guy told the Browns supposedly
to draft Johnny, Manziel,
the the strategy and Cleveland is preserve employment by
giving the owner what the owner wants. It's that's
the strategy.
The more we give the owner what he wants the longer. We work
here and the owner wanted Johnny Manziel. He got Johnny,
Manziel the owner wanted Baker, Mayfield. He got Baker,
Mayfield, the owner wanted to show Watson. Guess what?
The owner got DeShaun Watson and there was no one in that
organization. Yeah, who was who was able or willing
to say? Hey, Jimmy, hang on, a second. I know you want to go
all in. I know you're twisting your Oreo here and you want to
go Teddy k. See beyond this and go all in.
I know, but 230 million fully guaranteed, for five years
for this player.
Under these circumstances. We got to think about
how this could go wrong for us. Let's have a conversation about
all the ways this could blow up in our face. You think that
happens
once the owner decides. That's what he wants. And I guarantee
you never going to admit that. And they've tried the whole dog
and pony show about, we talk to the family and people came
around and everybody was concerned. Well, Well, yeah, he
wanted him he got
him. That's what it is. Browns fans. The owner wanted him in
the owner. Got him. Well, let me ask you this.
You don't ever have the feeling or thought that maybe, you
know, like a horse was led to water their a little bit. Like
that's the only other thing. I'll raise that. I've at least
consider it. I mean, Jimmy Haslam, I mean, as you discuss,
their,
his player Personnel, evaluations are not very high
on the Christians radar rankings there. I don't know if
he really knows his butt from his elbow, as far as that's
concerned.
Like, I just wonder
if somebody, Let them to this DeShaun, Watson thing, you
know, did it Andrew Barry?
I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe Kevin stefanski.
I don't know. But I would think somebody started this
and got Jimmy Haslam's interest in this
I don't I would have a hard time thinking has one would be
going. Hey, Andrew Barry, let's go and get DeShaun Watson.
Unless I'm wrong. I just I wonder how that Dynamic went
down.
I love that point, you know, the most powerful person in any
organization, isn't the person who makes the decision. It's
the person who's able to
subtly influence. I gotta think something's happened to lead
him down that road. I just have a hard time. Picturing Jimmy
Haslam coming in and being like, hey, let's go get Watson.
I got to think somebody was like, Hey, we're not sure what
to do with this Baker, Mayfield contract, and this might get
ugly. You know, there's this Jean Watson out there and
I just, I, I mean, again
just being around football knowing people my whole life.
I feel like that's how it would have gone down then rather than
maybe Vice. Versa I could see Jimmy Haslam coming into
the office one day with an idea that he thought was his and
only his
even though the seeds for that idea had been planted
systematically by Andrew Berry or Paul depodesta, right for
months. Hey if Baker Mayfield wants 40 million a year
mean if this is what he wants. Let's go. Let's go spend 40
million a year on somebody who really deserves it. Right?
Well, let's go get DeShaun, Watson, you know,
I agree with you. We don't know who that person would be, who
is essentially, you know, the Jackie's to beat a cow McNair,
right? Sorry to make the gratuitous shot at the Texans.
I know the Texans aren't doing anything
in this other than saying, thank God, more time anymore.
But but really, it's whoever is influencing and putting these
ideas and Jimmy Haslam's head to get into the point where
this is what he wants. And then people give him what he wants.
Because hey and
look, if it all blows up.
Hey Jimmy, you're the one that wanted him.
You know, I'm sorry. You wanted him. We went and got him.
You're a big boy. You're an adult.
You knew. I knew the risks even if no one really I just I can't
imagine. They really thought it through the way they should
have known. I got
caught up in the sense of competition, you know, once
the grand jury
did not indict
and then I felt like the what's the flag that starts the race?
Is it to the checkered flag? Is what ends are isn't the green
flag. If I'm going to buy Flags, right, the green flag
starts waving
and then they're off. And what have we here all weekend long,
courtesy of the People who traffic in this kind of stuff
is part of a quid pro quo to get access and information. Oh,
this teams interested that teams interested, 10 teams
entered a 15 teams interested, 20 teams, interested.
It created this Groundswell at created his land rush and at
the end of the day, you got Panthers Saints, Falcons
Browns, all jostling with each other. It's like a Royal
Rumble.
Who's going to be the last man standing
the Browns? Get kicked to the curb first. Yeah, you're out of
it. Now, what do they do? And then what they do, that's when
the owner or somebody says. Oh, okay. You know what, let's do.
Do this fully guaranteed contract? Let's do whatever. We
have to do to get this guy. We want him. You know, it's like,
it's like trying to
to by the g.i. Joe with the Kung Fu Grip.
Yeah, hiding places line.
I wanted somebody else.
That's it. I'm getting it right. I'm getting it.
They want him. I'm getting him. I just feel like all we use.
Tell them exactly right. Except you missed the phone. Call to
Baker. That made them do that? Where they went? Wait wait, you
don't like this anymore?
Oh, wait, okay, wait called the Sean back and tell him. We're
going to the greatest contract in the history.
Jury this morning something in between there and went on to.
But Chris. I think that was manipulated to I think they
knew damn. Well what was going to happen? They know him well
enough to know it was going to be pissed off if they started
flirting with DeShaun Watson, I would think so, but that's
where I questioned it. It's like they went. Hey, we're
going to flirt with them really seriously and go visit them.
He's gonna tell us know
and then we want you to act, like, you just still love us
and nothing else happened. Like, that's it seems like
that's kind of how it went down. You know, that
I think, I think they knew it was going to break.
The relationship with Baker may do think so surprised. They
were surprised when they got Shrugged off
and and hey look look. I know. I know that.
As I said a few times in the recent past Source guessing is
frowned upon in this establishment. I don't care.
There's no way more didn't utter the
they want an adult at the position
line without getting it from Jimmy Haslam or running it by
Jimmy Haslam.
And this is how this is just another move on the chessboard
to get the DeShaun Watson deal done. The relationship with
Baker. Mayfield is imploded Is it wise for us to offer DeShaun
Watson 230 million fully guaranteed over?
Five years in Piss. Everybody off,
probably not. But at this point, we got no choice.
Let's go do this thing. This is the guy we want.
Let's go get it.
I mean, talk about reality show
forget about the Chris Simms
Farm slashes. Ooh,
I would love the best NFL reality show would be the one
that really gave us the reality. Not the one that they
make us think is reality, but it's actually produced by
the NFL for the NFL. So it's going to be sanitized and presented
in the light. Most favorable to the teams.
I'd love, I love Love to have cameras and microphones in
these meetings.
When Paul depodesta, Andrew Berry, and Jimmy has a figuring
out what they're going to do about the Sean Watson. I would
pay, I would go to the movie theater. I,
and I still want to go see Top Gun in the theater. I would go
to the theater and pay good money for all of the internal,
DeShaun Watson meetings all that for me. And I'd like you
weren't a Browns movie Once man, get it in
first. Second time. You mean, you get a part in the Browns
movie, Once you know what, it Submit again fed. That is
a No-No
to have not I did not. I swear I got I have actually some
original thoughts on this. Big are blond head of times.
I you know, I we've gotten away with some salty language from
time to time. I think the middle fingers next.
Although you've done it before, I have
been a while. It's been a while, but maybe I'll break
that out before the show's over.