Deshaun Watson had a quarter of the NFL eating out of his hand a few years ago. Even while facing sexual assault allegations, numerous teams bid to woo him as he forced his way out of Houston. The Cleveland Browns emerged as the highest bidder, a result of their desperation tactic to fully guarantee his contract. As a result of that 11th-hour counteroffer, they remain shackled to that contract.
It’s still in Watson’s power to make that a good thing or a bad thing, of course. If he plays the way he did in Houston, then the $138 million the Browns still owe him will be a bargain.