Hypothetical: Trade for Deshaun Watson to get a 1st round pick and then dump Watson? (edited)

[203Pat]

Those guys come around once every 10 years or so. If you make the trade with the assumption you’re going to get the next Mahomes, Manning or Brady (ignoring the fact that, you know, we just drafted a QB with the #3 overall) then good luck with that.

I am not necessarily talking about us since we don't need a QB. Since it isn't my money I would make the deal if I could get a first round pick and juts cut Watson. If I was an owner with deep pockets who needs to rebuild I think that would be a good way to jumpstart it if you can get a couple picks out of Cleveland for $90 million.

 

[XLIX]

I am not sure they can. He would have to agree to it and with his total salary fully guaranteed and the fact he has already received over $140 million by the offseason, he has no incentive to restructure unless they give him more money. The only thing that might make him willing to convert his base salary to bonuses is if the Browns' away games aggregated tax rates are worse than Ohio's tax.

IIRC, Watson’s contract has a clause - becoming more and more common in big contracts these days - that the club has the unilateral option to convert salary to signing bonus. They did it just this past offseason as well as last year.

They don’t need him to agree to it because he already did.

 

[mike_usagisan]

As long as we're playing hypothetical, how many and which picks are worth a cap hit this size? Also, if the team that takes Watson takes the cap hits and gets the picks, could they then trade Watson on a more reasonable contract to a team that needs a QB for additional picks? And what is he worth then?

 

[Real fan 02]

Watsons contract is onerous... And he's been playing terrible football when healthy... With Maye here, it would be a step back...

Now, if Cleveland wants to talk about moving their left tackle, then we start bargaining

I saw on ESPN he's worse than Brissett this season?

 

[Real fan 02]

As long as we're playing hypothetical, how many and which picks are worth a cap hit this size? Also, if the team that takes Watson takes the cap hits and gets the picks, could they then trade Watson on a more reasonable contract to a team that needs a QB for additional picks? And what is he worth then?

I have a hypothetical. What about trading for adams in LV for Drake. Apparently teams don't want to give a 2nd rounder for him.. so what about the 3rd rounder we got for judon and a conditional 4th for adams. And we take on his contract for 2 seasons. So you'd have adams, Polk, pop and KB as drakes primary WRs. Adams could have a Steff diggs impact for Drake.

 

[Pape]

I saw on ESPN he's worse than Brissett this season?

i don't know if im more surprised by someone being worse than Brisket or that you watch espn... that **** ended during the spy gate pile on

 

[Real fan 02]

i don't know if im more surprised by someone being worse than Brisket or that you watch espn... that **** ended during the spy gate pile on

Well when I get tired of doom n gloom felgah and azz I glance over to them to get a national perspective.

 

[Real fan 02]

i don't know if im more surprised by someone being worse than Brisket or that you watch espn... that **** ended during the spy gate pile on

 

[Sciz]

I have a hypothetical. What about trading for adams in LV for Drake. Apparently teams don't want to give a 2nd rounder for him.. so what about the 3rd rounder we got for judon and a conditional 4th for adams. And we take on his contract for 2 seasons. So you'd have adams, Polk, pop and KB as drakes primary WRs. Adams could have a Steff diggs impact for Drake.

His 2025-2026 contract is just so absurdly out there that no amount of cap room makes it make sense to actually pay that. Joel Corry (CBS Sports, former agent) proposed the Mike Evans deal (something like $20M per year with $4M in reasonable incentives) in a restructure, which really shows how entirely unreasonable $36M per year is.

 

[PatsFan2]

Seems like DW has hit the cliff a little early he needs a change of scenery and a restructure.

 

[Sciz]

As long as we're playing hypothetical, how many and which picks are worth a cap hit this size? Also, if the team that takes Watson takes the cap hits and gets the picks, could they then trade Watson on a more reasonable contract to a team that needs a QB for additional picks? And what is he worth then?

I did all the math and came up with 3.3x the Osweiler trade. The issue is that the Browns were fortunate that the Texans were, in fact, very bad so the future 2nd was 35th overall. You can’t possibly take that risk with a future 1st when the pick loses half its value falling from 3rd to 14th. I also don’t think this is entirely linear, as it should cost more per dollar if you’re trying to dump more money at one time.

So I’m just going to go with present 1st, approximately 5th overall or a hair lower.

In theory Watson should have value on a minimum salary contract, but I think that‘s negligible if anything at this point because Watson has been playing not a whole lot better than what you’d expect from a minimum salary QB.

 

[Rob0729]

IIRC, Watson’s contract has a clause - becoming more and more common in big contracts these days - that the club has the unilateral option to convert salary to signing bonus. They did it just this past offseason as well as last year.

They don’t need him to agree to it because he already did.

I didn't know that, but he only has two years left on his deal after this year. It will difficult to convert money into signing bonuses with or without his consent.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I did all the math and came up with 3.3x the Osweiler trade. The issue is that the Browns were fortunate that the Texans were, in fact, very bad so the future 2nd was 35th overall. You can’t possibly take that risk with a future 1st when the pick loses half its value falling from 3rd to 14th. I also don’t think this is entirely linear, as it should cost more per dollar if you’re trying to dump more money at one time.

So I’m just going to go with present 1st, approximately 5th overall or a hair lower.

In theory Watson should have value on a minimum salary contract, but I think that‘s negligible if anything at this point because Watson has been playing not a whole lot better than what you’d expect from a minimum salary QB.

I can't imagine the Browns are going to get a whole lot better very fast, so I'd want some future picks as part of the deal in addition to the 1st. But I'm greedy.

 

[TheRainMaker]

 

[farn]

Only read until « before you flame me ». Literally only here to ‘flame’.

No. A thousand times no.

 

[Brotherblues]

As long as we're playing hypothetical, how many and which picks are worth a cap hit this size? Also, if the team that takes Watson takes the cap hits and gets the picks, could they then trade Watson on a more reasonable contract to a team that needs a QB for additional picks? And what is he worth then?

I find it funny because I've literally done this when managing a baseball franchise in an MLB online simulation league. I told everyone I was open to take on their bad contracts for picks/prospects. I'd then turn around and flip those players (with me absorbing their salary) for more picks/prospects. After 3 seasons my fanbase hated me, and the team was broke, but I had built a powerhouse contender full of young stars and a stacked pipeline in the minors. Playoff runs, high profits, and a championship soon followed. Five seasons after I left the league I still get emails now and then from other GMs, telling me how my team is still killing it.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I find it funny because I've literally done this when managing a baseball franchise in an MLB online simulation league. I told everyone I was open to take on their bad contracts for picks/prospects. I'd then turn around and flip those players (with me absorbing their salary) for more picks/prospects. After 3 seasons my fanbase hated me, and the team was broke, but I had built a powerhouse contender full of young stars and a stacked pipeline in the minors. Playoff runs, high profits, and a championship soon followed. Five seasons after I left the league I still get emails now and then from other GMs, telling me how my team is still killing it.

Yeah, I just suspect that in the real world, owners and GMs wouldn't be able to handle the public backlash.

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

If he was cut and had no contract to fulfill and would take vet min? Sure why not. Trade a 5th for him if the stains eat that contract. All of it. This would never happen. Maybe once his contract is fulfilled, if he doesn’t retire, something could be worked out, reasonably of course. His resume/rep/behavior makes me wonder how in the **** is he still in the league. Our dude peppers got arrested for 1 instance. DW had how many accusers he settled with? Sorry that screams guilty and just wanted it over. I know I know he was not convicted. I think with his stigma, he could be a locker room cancer really. Could be wrong. Now if we got several picks for taking on his contract or part…I’m down. So long as we eat the contract and release him. Get a first and 2 second round pics with a third.

 

[XLIX]

I didn't know that, but he only has two years left on his deal after this year. It will difficult to convert money into signing bonuses with or without his consent.

They add voidable years to the contract (which they’ve already done).

So, as I stated before, Cleveland can reduce his cap number by about $35 million in 2025 if they want to. I know that’s just kicking the can down the road but according to overthecap, they have plenty of cap space in 2026.

 

[tasmlab]

IIRC, sort of, Cleveland had to do something like this with Brock Oeswieler (sp). Sounds like a lot of hassle to get a first round pick that the Pats will use on N'keal Harry or Sonny Michele or Mac Jones or...