Jimmy Haslam stands by Browns’ Deshaun Watson trade, deal a year later

On Mar 28, 2023

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam talks with Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) on the sidelines before the start of the preseason game agains the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Cleveland Browns at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida Friday, August 12, 2022 for the first home preseason game of the season. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

PHOENIX — Deshaun Watson’s specter hung over the proceedings when the NFL owners convened for last year’s annual meetings in Florida. The quarterback had just been traded to the Browns by the Houston Texans, but that wasn’t the specific reason why rival owners were upset.

It was the fully-guaranteed five-year, $230-million contract that Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam had handed Watson that had elicited rival owners’ ire. One owner in particular, the Baltimore Ravens’ Steve Bisciotti, was quite vocal about the precedent set by the deal.

“I don’t know that he should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract,” Bisciotti told reporters at last year’s meetings. “To me, that’s something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others.”

Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam talk:Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam on Deshaun Watson, expectations, stadium and Bucks

A year later, Watson’s specter and Bisciotti’s words again hung over the NFL’s annual meetings as they convened at the Arizona Biltmore Resort this week. This time, it was because of the impact the contract has had on the ability of Bisciotti’s team to re-sign former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who’s currently a free agent.

Jackson has reportedly been asking for a fully-guaranteed contract along the lines of what Watson received from the Browns. The Ravens have balked, placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on the 2019 NFL MVP.

It came to a head on Monday, when Jackson put out on social media his demand to be traded by the Ravens at the same time his coach, John Harbaugh, was speaking to reporters in Arizona. Later that evening, the Haslams sat down to speak with a handful of Browns beat writers, including the Beacon Journal, to discuss a variety of topics.

The first question Jimmy Haslam was asked was about the impact of Watson’s contract hasn’t just had on another team, but specifically an AFC North rival’s best play.

“Listen, we’re focused on the Browns,” Haslam said. “We’re focused on winning games for the Browns. I think it would be inappropriate to comment on any other teams or any other team’s players.”