Off-season thoughts (Vol. XVIII)

I was sitting at the gate in Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix when I got word from my son in the form of a text. "Wowwwwwww," it read. "Wowwwwwww what?" I replied.

It was Friday March 26 just after noon. I was waiting to board a plane to take me to see our brand new  granddaughter in northern California for about a week. What was so important that he reacted like that?

He attached an Adam Schefter text that Deshaun Watson had decided he wanted to play for the Browns after initially turning them down. Clearly a Wowwwwwww moment. A stunning move. And there I was totally unprepared to react in this blog.

No equipment other than clothing and bathroom supplies. I had to make a decision. Deshaun Watson or the granddaughter (our first after three grandsons). A no-brainer. Deshaun can wait. I have more important matters to attend to. I'll follow the story on my phone and/or television.

I jotted down numerous thoughts over the next several days (adding fresher thoughts after the interesting news conference Friday) to make certain I wouldn't lose them so I could share them with you, albeit belatedly. The following is a compendium of those thoughts in no particular order.

* My initial thought centered on the non-football side of the story. The delicate nature of the Watson saga suggests this is not going to end well. In the run-up to Watson's final decision, at least one Cleveland-area poll revealed more than half of those polled wanted the Browns to move in another direction.

That they blatantly and openly recruited one of the elite quarterbacks in the National Football League, one charged multiple times for sexual assault and general misbehavior, was met with anger, disdain and disbelief by a large segment of those with emotional ties to the Browns. 

I had never seen such a reaction. Got me to thinking and wondering if I had turned a blind eye to the real issue here. This was about a lot more than football. Sexual misbehavior cannot and should not be tolerated no matter who you are.

* By signing Watson, the Browns have bought into his background as a man and as a player, all but exonerating him of these serious charges. Even though criminal charges were dismissed by two grand juries, 22 civil suits by female massage therapists are pending.

Watson steadfastly proclaims his innocence. But when more than 20 women say they were sexually assaulted by Watson in a number of different ways, that's powerful and damning stuff. Are they all lying? That would be an incredible coincidence. It's utterly ridiculous to believe that's the case. 

* I wondered how Watson would handle his first news conference when he knew he would face a withering number of questions with regard to his off-the-field activities. He did well. Kept his composure, It was almost as though he was well coached on how to handle those questions. Claimed his innocence with a straight face.

* For those who believe the national media picks on the Browns too much, buckle up. This little saga will linger for much longer than you think. You are going to get sick and tired of it. It will be brought up directly, sometimes obliquely. What the Browns have done has elicited such adjectives as despicable, slimy, sleaze. Ultimate deal with the devil. Get used to it.

* The statement owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam III wrote to the public when news broke that they were in the Watson sweepstakes and explaining why was nothing more than word salad. Very defensive. Almost as though they knew there would be pushback.

"We spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson," it read in part. Also: "We are acutely aware and empathetic to the highly personal sentiments expressed about this decision."And then: "Our team's comprehensive evaluation process was of utmost importance due to the sensitive nature of his situation and the complex factors involved."

Nice to know empathy and sensitivity were factors. One other factor not mentioned: Watson is a hell of a football player who immediately makes the Browns one of the favorites to play well into the postseason in the immediate future. Think that might have been a good reason to pursue him? 

* With Watson now on board, is it unreasonable to think head coach Kevin Stefanski will change his philosophy on offense? Watson is a gunslinger. Based on his first two seasons as head coach, playcaller and de facto offensive coordinator, Stefanski does not like gunslingers. 

Baker Mayfield, a gunslinger, was reined in by Stefanski, who prefers an offense that runs the football almost as much as it throws with as many as three tight ends in the formation. He became a game manager. Watson is not a game manager.

In his last three seasons with the Houston Texans, he averaged 515 passes a season and threw for 12,840 yards and 85 touchdown passes. That is not Stefanski football. He sort of acknowledged that in last Friday's news conference and hinted he just might change. 

"We are going to work through it," he told the media. "We are going to spend a lot of time with Deshaun and the coaches. Sit down and make sure we are doing what he is comfortable with." I'll believe it when I see it.

* In order for Watson to be effective, he needs a solid offensive line. Right now, I don't see one with this roster. It used to be one of the best in the NFL. Not anymore.

Jedrick Wills Jr. has not worked out at left tackle. The third-year pro is decent as a run blocker, but it is especially weak in pass protection. Right tackle Jack Conklin is reportedly ahead of schedule rehabilitating a torn patellar tendon. The All-Pro returning in time for the regular season would be a huge plus.

The real strength in the line is at guard, where Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller form arguably the league's best guard tandem. Nick Harris, the guy who plays between them at center is the X factor. The third-year pro is the smallest center in the NFL at barely six feet tall and replaces the solid JC Tretter. Massive dropoff in talent and experience.

* The line is not the only problem area. Right now, newly acquired Amari Cooper is a solid No. 1 wide receiver. That's pretty much it.  That will change once General Manager Andrew Berry massages that part of the roster through either free agency, the college draft or trade.

Watson is going to need a lot of help from this group, but won't get much from disappointing Donovan Peoples-Jones, inconsistent second-year man Anthony Schwartz and practice squader Ja'Marcus Bradley. 

* How will Berry handle the Baker Mayfield situation? He's pretty much backed into a corner as he tries to unload Mayfield's nearly $19 million contract. It's not him other teams don't want. It's his contract. Unless Berry gets creative in an effort to move him, looks like he is going to hang around -- on the roster, that is -- for a while.

* As for the 22 women, do I think they are lying about what happened? No way. Do I think there is another side, a genuinely good side to Deshaun Watson? Absolutely. I am conflicted, but not to the point where I would vehemently take sides. It's not worth it.

* Now do I believe the Haslams have been insincere in how they have handled the situation? Uh huh. It's almost embarrassing the manner in which they grope for reasons to justify what they are doing. Bringing in their two adult daughters to help with the justification is gobsmacking.

*So what side am I taking in this whole Deshaun Watson situation? Normally, I don't take sides. When it comes to journalism, I always root for the story. So I gave this one a little more attention because of the nature of the story,

Initially, I remembered how the Pittsburgh Steelers handled it about a dozen years ago when Ben Roethlisberger and rape appeared in the same story. I thought how stupid could someone in the public spotlight be. 

Watson, his claims of innocence notwithstanding, joins Big Ben in that small circle of stupidity. Roethlisberger paid the price with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Watson most likely will face the same punishment once the league reaches the adjudication stage.

I am taking the coward's way out on this one. I write about football and other sports. Something like this spoils the fun aspect of doing that. Yes, the Browns didn't exactly cover themselves with glory. What they did was repugnant and showed no shame. It was all in the interest of winning football games.

No, I'm not going to stop writing about the Browns. They are the team I grew up with. I love football too much to slink away. If I stopped because of all this nonsense, it would be doing the wrong thing for the wrong reason.