Catching up

Lots to catch up on. The anticlimactic roster trimdown to the not-so-final 53; what to expect in Kevin Stefanski's third season; continued success on defense; the further adventures of Baker Mayfield; and the Deshaun Watson outcome. 

Too much to pack into one humongous -- and probably boring -- piece.  So let's do this one step at a time to keep the urge to reach for the No-Doz to a minimum, starting with the most recent event. The not-very-dramatic countdown to 53 for the Browns.

As expected, absolutely no surprises. Guessing the 53 was relatively easy. A lot of really good players on this roster return. Bottom line: If drafted by General Manager Andrew Berry, you are pretty much guaranteed a spot on the main roster at the beginning of the regular season. 

Berry has selected 24 players the last three lotteries, 22 of whom appear on the current 53. That number would undoubtedly be all 24 had centers Nick Harris and rookie Dawson Deaton not suffered major knee injuries within days of each other in training camp.

Which means a bloated 41.5% of the roster has earned the Andrew Berry Seal of Approval. But of those 22, only eight (grudgingly) have become starters or vital contributors -- Greg Newsome II, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Grant Delpit, Jordan Elliott  and rookie Martin Emerson Jr. on defense and only Jedrick Wills Jr., Donovan Peoples-Jones (grudgingly) and rookie David Bell on offense.

And with the Browns not selecting in the opening round again until 2025 (thank you very much, Deshaun Watson), the aftereffects of the big trade for the quarterback will not be felt for at least a couple of years. And they won't be pleasant.

This roster will be malleable, of course, probably right up until the season opening game a week from Sunday on the road against the Carolina Panthers. There are numerous weak spots that, if not seriously addressed, will become obvious quickly enough.

Right up at the top on either side of the football is an almost embarrassing lack of talent in the wide receivers room, populated by Amari Cooper, who might receive triple coverage this season, three incredibly mediocre (and that's being charitable) talents and a rookie (David Bell) with a reputation of actually holding on to a thrown forward pass.

The same cannot be said for Peoples-Jones, who is beginning to look alarmingly like the underachieving player he was in college at Michigan; Anthony Schwartz, whose hands are not nearly as productive as his world-class speed legs and feet; and rookie Michael Woods II, whose talent is unknown because he was hurt during most of training camp.

This is the group Berry and Stefanski apparently like. What other logical conclusion can be reached by their continued presence. With other aging veterans still on the street leading up to training camp, the Browns chose to stick with this crew. 

Gotta feel for Jacoby Brissett who will keep the starting quarterback's seat warm for the first 11 games while Watson completes his suspension. He is, at best, a backup National Football League quarterback. Do not expect much from him.

All the glowing reports fans are fed from training camp about how well he is looking during practices are mere fodder. Now that the regular season is just around the corner, watch how opposing defenses squeeze the field on him, take away the short- and medium-range stuff and dare him to throw deep. Avert your eyes when that happens.

As for other aspects of the passing game, look for Stefanski to rely heavily on screen passes, outlet passes, slants and quick outs with running backs Kareem Hunt, D'Ernest Johnson (unless he's traded), Demetric Felton and rookie Jerome Ford heavily involved.

Because it's Brissett and not Watson in the first 11 games, Stefanski most likely will apply heavy doses of the ground game (maybe as many as half the playcalls) to win the possession battle with the talents of the peerless Nick Chubb, Hunt, Johnson and Ford.

And with just two tight ends in David Njoku and Harrison Bryant available, it will be interesting to see how the head coach assimilates them into the offense, which featured three tights more than any other NFL team last two seasons. He might start by targeting Bryant more than he has the last two seasons. 

But it's the grunts up front who will have to make it all happen. The success or failure of the running game depends heavily on their performance. Now factor in the quality of this season's offensive line falls well short of the last two seasons with weaknesses at center and left tackle, unless Wills decides to show why the Browns made him their No. 1 pick in 2020.

I see the club regretting -- without admitting it publicly -- releasing veteran center JC Tretter earlier this year. Berry and Stefanski boast about the versatility on the bench to step right in in the event center Ethan Pocic goes down. Wishful thinking.

Tretter was one of the top three centers in the league last season, and certainly the club's best offensive lineman, before being cashiered. He's still out there, too, after retiring. All it takes is a phone call.

Next: The defense and Baker.

This and that

Random thoughts . . . 

The first time I saw Kareem Hunt run the football for the Browns, my first thought was he is as good as Nick Chubb. Maybe even better.

That seemed ludicrous, I also reasoned, because Chubb is clearly one of a small number of truly elite running backs in the National Football League. Yes, Hunt won the league rushing title as a rookie with Kansas City, but he knows his place in Cleveland. It's behind Chubb on the depth chart.

So when running backs coach Stump Mitchell the other day pretty much placed Chubb and Hunt on the same level in many ways, it was gratifying to hear someone with much greater knowledge agree with the initial assessment.

Both men are physical at the point of attack. Hunt is a slasher. Has a quicker change of direction. Chubb is a pounder. He doesn't seek contact, but has more trouble avoiding it. Both are fast and extremely difficult to bring down. 

Mitchell, however, leans toward Hunt with regard to potential. "You have not all seen the best of Kareem Hunt," he said. "By any stretch of the imagination. . . . He can be the best back in the league." Whoa! High praise, indeed. All the Greater Cleveland native needs, his coach said, is patience.

"Because of the type of player he is, he is aggressive. He just needs to be a little more patient and then he can be the best in the league. . . . He doesn't give his offensive linemen an opportunity sometimes to make blocks because he cuts too fast. . . . I've got to teach him to be a little more patient."

One can only imagine how lethal the Cleveland running game can be if head coach Kevin Stefanski employs both in the huddle on a regular basis. Recent history shows that is not likely going to be the case. An exception would be with Hunt lined up in the slot as a receiver.

Mitchell needs to lobby a little harder with his boss to pair Chubb and Hunt on a regular basis, especially with Deshaun Watson sidelined for who knows how long. Stefanski seems to be leaning toward employing a ground-heavy attack with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.

***

I know it's only one exhibition game, hut if the Cleveland front office is not worried about the wide receivers room, something is wrong. At the risk of sounding repetitious, that room outside of veteran Amari Cooper is barren of the kind of talent required for this team.

There is no clear WR2. The wildly inconsistent Donovan Peoples-Jones is widely regarded as the favorite with rookie David Bell, supposedly recovered from a stress fracture in a foot, ready to challenge. But Bell is strictly a slot receiver. Where's the speed?

Anthony Schwartz provides it, but seems to be allergic to what he's paid to do -- catch the football. But he sure is fast. Ja'Marcus Bradley keeps hanging on. Michael Woods II and Mike Harley Jr. can't stay healthy. The jury is out on tall and slender Javon Wims.

Free agent Daylen Baldwin caught my eye in the Jacksonville pre -- oops, exhibition -- victory last weekend. He caught only three passes (on three targets) and all three resulted in first downs. The fact he caught all three gives him, at least in these eyes, a leg up on Schwartz.

General Manager Andrew Berry will see soon enough that he had better upgrade that room. A few free agents remain on the street. One can only guess what direction he'll head. He might be waiting for the final roster trims later this month for that upgrade because Watson will need it when (if?) he returns.

***

Watson couldn't have been any worse than he was in the Jacksonville victory. Time to watch how Stefanski covers for his new quarterback. He has already started with Watson regarding missed opportunities, this time with two of his five attempts.

At times during the season, you will hear him suggest his quarterback (whoever that is) "would like to have that throw back" when disaster strikes. It was reminiscent of how he covered for Baker Mayfield when he struggled, particularly in the second half of last season. 

It is also somewhat amusing to hear how much better Watson looked in training camp a few days after Jacksonville. How relaxed and accurate he looked. Of course, he was throwing to receivers in designed-route drills with no one pressuring him.

That said, I come from the school that vastly overrates practices to begin with. Most coaches believe you play as you practice. Respectfully disagree. Good practices do not necessarily foretell good performances in games. I much prefer a player who plays better in games than in practice.

***

A personal note: Family matters will keep me away from this blog for a couple of weeks. I expect to return by the time final roster trims have been made.

An exhibition rant

The following comes with a warning label . . . 

Do not, under any circumstances, take seriously anything you witnessed in the exhibition football game Friday night between the Browns and Jacksonville Jagwires (yeah, I know). More on that in a bit.

But for now . . . 

The National Football League likes to call them pre-season games, which is technically correct because they are, indeed, played prior to the regular season. But what they are in reality are exhibitions, which they used to be called before some public relations flunky probably thought preseason sounded more politically correct.

These meaningless games are merely exercises in crafting rosters for games that count. Fans see mostly second- and third-stringers for the most part. The games are so meaningless, it appears as though the NFL is slowly reducing the number it schedules. 

The league craves more revenue and the likelihood of 18 regular-season games and just two exhibitions almost certainly will be on the table the next time the current Collective Bargaining Agreement ends.

The league played a six-game pre, er, exhibition schedule until 1978, when it was reduced to four. It stayed that way until last season when it shrunk to three games. Won't be long before teams pretty much determine the shape of their roster in training camp.

Side rant over. Now on to the Browns-Jags game. Again, do not draw conclusions based how it was performed. Most of you probably know more than a dozen Cleveland starters on both sides of the football were in street clothes.

The quality of the football was substandard, mostly because a good many of those who played will not see his name on the roster when the final cutdown to 53 players is announced because of the abundant talent already on it. With a few exceptions, they are displaying their talents for scouts of other NFL teams.

Yes, the Browns won, 24-13, overcoming a 13-0 early second-quarter deficit, a pair of rookies scoring all three touchdowns and rookie kicker Cade York tacking on a field goal. It provided a feel-good atmosphere in the locker room after the game, albeit meaningless.

There were a few highs, like the 76-yard pick six by rookie cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. in the final minute of the second quarter to give the Browns their first lead of the game at 14-13. Actually, it was more of a smash and grab interception, Emerson causing Jags receiver Jeff Cotton Jr. to bobble the football and then snatching it away and going the distance.

Then there's rookie running back Jerome Ford, who scored twice (once on acrobatic catch backing into the end zone) and looking like a young Nick Chubb with gobs of yards after contact. He touched the ball 14 times (10 runs), racking up 102 yards, but fumbled away the ball in the final quarter trying to gain extra yards.

He is not as quick as the last great Cleveland player to wear 34 (Greg Pruitt, with apologies to Kevin Mack), but his style is somewhat reminiscent in that he has instinctive lateral movement and seemingly good vision. If you don't get him early, he'll make you pay.

And now some notable lows, like the awful performance by Deshaun Watson in his first game action in 586 days. The rust he carried into the game had rust. Three series, eight snaps, five passes that counted, one completion of seven yards and minus eight net yards overall. He was erratic and did not look comfortable.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he just wanted Watson to get the feel of playing the game after such a long layoff. But with the regular season about a month away, Jacoby Brissett will now get most of the reps in training camp and the remaining exhibitions when Watson serves his suspension, the length of which will soon be determined.

The Browns also lost center Nick Harris for the season on the second play of the game. The smallish Harris was bull-rushed and overwhelmed by Jags nose tackle DaVon Hamilton, the former Ohio State defensive tackle, and  his right knee buckled under the weight of his body.

Harris, the smallest center in the NFL at a pinky nail taller than six feet, was replaced by Ethan Pocic, one of the league's tallest centers at 6-6, who played well. He signed as a free agent a few months ago after being released by the Seattle Seahawks.

Stefanski was asked Saturday about possibly going after free agent JC Tretter, the veteran pivot released by the Browns earlier this year. "I will not comment on roster-type things," he said. "That is Andrew (General Manager Andrew Berry) and his crew. 

"But I do want to make note (that) Ethan did a nice job (against the Jags) and he has done a nice job since April. I am excited about what he can bring to the table." Translated:, Not a chance. For what it's worth, that's a mistake. Tretter, infinitely better than Pocic, was the Browns' best offensive lineman last season.  

One more lowlight: Anthony Schwartz. How many times do I have to say it for the Browns to realize it. He is a world-class sprinter disguised as a football player. Schwartz, now in his second NFL season, is listed as a wide receiver. He is a wide receiver in name only. 

Watson targeted him three times, overthrowing him badly on the first and then disgustedly watching him drop two easy -- so easy you and I could have caught them -- passes. Schwartz should be making money winning sprints all over the globe.

Tidbits . . . Josh Dobbs looked a lot better than Watson at quarterback, although that didn't take much. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 108 yards and the touchdown. Josh Rosen, in relief of Dobbs, also looked comfortable for someone who didn't get many training-camp snaps. His only miss in seven passing attempts was a throwaway on a busted play. . . . Running back D'Ernest Johnson, who has fumbled only once in three years with Cleveland, coughed up the ball that led to a Jacksonville field goal in the first quarter. . . . Rookie defensive end Isiah Thomas had himself quite an afternoon, filling up the stats sheet with two of the Browns' five sacks, three solo tackles, three tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hits. Worth keeping an eye on. . . . A quibble with York's kicking: He tends to hook his extra points around the left upright. But his 31-yard field goal was perfect. . . . Third-year linebacker Jacob Phillips is not a good tackler, whiffing at least twice on seemingly easy tackles. He was credited with one assist. . . . Ja'Marcus Bradley got the first crack at replacing Jakeem Grant, on injured reserve with a ruptured Achilles, with mediocre results.

Changing stances

Someone got to Deshaun Watson. 

How else can anyone explain why the beleaguered Browns quarterback pirouetted 180 degrees on his previous -- and very consistent -- contention he did nothing wrong as the National Football League began disciplinary action to suspend him for abnormal sexual behavior off the field.

Watson surprisingly apologized Friday night to the 25 women in the Houston area who accused him of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions.

Speaking in an in-house interview on the Browns' pre-game show prior to the exhibition opener  in Jacksonville, Watson said, "I want to say I'm truly sorry to all of the women I have impacted in this situation."

In two prior interviews with the media, though, he showed no remorse, declaring he had " no regrets" for any of his actions with regards to his predatory behavior in the massage sessions. He later admitted he regretted how his his actions impacted on those close to him like his family, his teammates, the club and the City of Cleveland.

That all changed Friday.

"The decisions I made in my life that put me in this position I would definitely like to have back," he said. "I want to continue forward and grow and learn and show I am a true person of character and I'm going to keep pushing forward." The I-did-nothing-wrong notion disappeared.

Someone got to Watson. 

Someone in his family, or maybe a few of his handlers, had to have sat him down and explained he had to change his I'm-a-victim stance because it wasn't working and he had better show some remorse. The NFL, hellbent on making certain Watson doesn't play at all this season, no doubt took notice of his lack of remorse. 

Thus the didn't-see-that-coming apology. The big question now is gauging the sincerity of that apology and determining if it arrived too late.

The NFL also has not responded, at least not publicly, to Watson's last-minute compromise move of willingly accepting an eight-game suspension and a $5 million fine instead of the original six-game suspension and no fine.

It's entirely possible the NFL (a.k.a. Commissioner Roger Goodell), having now heard Watson's mea culpa, didn't buy a word of it. Its tardy arrival smacks of desperation. 

Former New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey, who will rule on the league's appeal to change the length of the original punishment, has not announced his decision as of late Friday. It will be interesting to see if Watson's apology will be factored into his ultimate adjudication.

Watson caves a little

It's beginning to look like Deshaun Watson and his people are beginning to get it. It being the National Football League's intention to punish him as harshly as possible for his predatory sexual behavior.

Why else would the Browns quarterback and his his handlers float what is clearly a compromise offer in an effort to reach a settlement before independent arbiter Peter Harvey rules on an appeal by the NFL to overrule and increase the original six-game suspension and no fine.

The league has made it quite clear anything less than an indefinite suspension and sizable fine is unacceptable. It hopes Harvey suspends Watson indefinitely and fines him substantially.

Other than consistently insisting he has done nothing wrong, there has been no reaction from Watson's camp on the initial ruling. Until Thursday. 

According to The Associated Press, Watson and his people would accept an eight-game suspension and $5 million fine for violating the league's personal conduct policy in what appears to be an initial move to knock the NFL off its stringent stance and perhaps open the lines of communication.

If nothing else, it represents movement toward Watson's desire for a less harsh settlement. The question is whether this move draws the attention of the league. Eight games is not going to cut it. It's not even close. If he wants a response, he is going to have come up a lot higher.

During the initial negotiations between the two sides before the case went to Harvey, ESPN reported the NFL would accept nothing less than 12 games and an $8 million fine. That probably puts it in the right settlement neighborhood.

Right now, the ball is in the NFL's court. It can either take the current offer seriously or see the move as a sign of weakness and hold firm with the indefinite suspension and fine and hope for a favorable ruling from Harvey.

The only certainty is Watson eventually will have to serve a long suspension. The mystery is how long and in what way it will affect how the Browns handle it with regard to the position from a personnel standpoint for the 2022 season

News & Views

News: The Browns announce Deshaun Watson will start at quarterback against the Jagwires (yeah, I know) in the exhibition opener Friday night in Jacksonville.

Views: Or will he?

With the distinct possibility of an indefinite suspension hanging in the balance between now and the game, Watson conceivably would have that assignment yanked by the league if arbiter Peter Harvey rules that level of punishment any time before the game.

The league designee is in the midst of deliberating the case of the NFL vs. Watson with regard to the length of punishment the Cleveland quarterback should receive for what the league labeled "egregious and predatory sexual behavior," violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Indefinite suspension requires immediate cessation of any and all activities between Watson and his employer. Harvey's decision is binding and must be adhered to, according to the last Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and Players Association.

But if Harvey fails to reach his decision by game time, or if he does and it is less than an indefinite suspension -- say an extension of 10-12 games rather than the original six-game ban -- Watson plays against the Jags.

Let's be optimistic and say he plays. A few questions arise. 

How long will he play? One series? Two series? One half? What does head coach and playcaller Kevin Stefanski have in store for however long Watson has the huddle?

First, and perhaps most important of all, how many other starters will be in that huddle? Will Watson have pass protection from his starting line? And how many of the very, very average receiving corps will get reps?

First game of the exhibition season and starters generally -- at least that's the way used to be -- don't play as the coaches try to shake out the bottom of the roster. Now that the exhibition season has shrunken to three games, starters usually don't debut earlier than game two.

Let's assume again and say the starters play as long as Watson is in the game. Does Stefanski go conservative and plug in nothing but high percentage plays? Like simple handoffs to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt? Or high-percentage passes that travel no more than 10 or 15 yards?

After all, this will be Watson's furst game action since he last took a snap on Jan. 23, 2021 in the final game of the 2020 season before the Houston Texans sit him the entire 2021 season due to his off-the-field problems.

That's 586 days between snaps. Unless, that is, Harvey has other ideas.

Bad news, worse news

From the bad news department . . . 

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell shed a brightly shining light Tuesday on what he expects to hear from Peter Harvey when the designee reaches a decision in the battle between the league and Deshaun Watson.

Asked at a league meeting in Bloomington, Minn., why the league had sought an indefinite suspension for the Browns quarterback, Goodell referenced the initial six-game suspension ruling by league disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson.

"We've seen the evidence," he said. "She was very clear about the evidence. She reinforced the evidence. There were multiple violations that were egregious and it was predatory behavior."

Draw your own conclusions, but based on that, it sure sounds as though Goodell expects Harvey, whose final decision in the matter is binding according to the last Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players, to drop a significant hammer on Watson.

Goodell stands by Robinson's thought process that Watson's behavior "cast a negative light on the league and its players" and that his conduct posed "a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person, and conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL."

Doesn't take much mind reading to determine he believes Robinson's punishment did not come close to fitting the crime, as seen and defined by the NFL, even though two Texas grand juries failed to bring criminal charges against Watson.

If I were a betting man, my money would be placed on at least an increase in games missed to anywhere between 10 and 12 and a sizable fine in the eight-figure neighborhood. Goodell wants to make certain something like this never happens again.

From the worse news department . . . 

The Browns have established near-permanent residence near the bottom of the NFL the last several seasons with special teams, most notably in kick and punt returns. That was expected to change this season with the signing of free agent Jakeem Grant.

Grant has visited the end zone on returns seven times in his six-year career, mostly with the Miami Dolphins and last season with the Chicago Bears. The 5-7 speedster, while no Josh Cribbs, was expected to help the offense with returns this season that produced short fields.

That dream ended abruptly in practice Tuesday when Grant, getting in work as a wide receiver, ruptured his Achilles' tendon in a one-on-one drill. The non-contact injury ended his season and catapulted the Browns back to mediocrity in the return game.

Unless General Manager Andrew Berry can uncover another Grant-like returner, it looks as though special teams coordinator Mike Priefer is back to the drawing board again with wide receiver Anthony Schwartz and running backs Demetric Felton and D'Ernest Johnson.

Travis Benjamin was the last Brown to reach the end zone on a punt return in November of 2015 against Tennessee. And you have to go way back to December of 2009 when the incomparable Cribbs returned two kickoffs 100 yards and 103 yards in a victory over Kansas City.

The former Kent State University quarterback racked up a remarkable 13,488 yards and 11 touchdowns on returns in his 10-season NFL career.

Send in the clowns

No matter how you look at it, the Browns have backed themselves into a corner with regard to the Deshaun Watson circus. At this point, can't think of a better word to describe it.

When the Browns -- no, make that owner Jimmy Haslam III, whose fingerprints are all over the mess this has become -- targeted Watson late last season and then bribed him to come to Cleveland, they probably had no idea it would reach the current stage of uncertainty.

As it stands now, all parties involved in the matter await the ruling of Peter Harvey, Commissioner Roger Goodell's designee, to hear appeals by the National Football League and the league's Players Association on the initial ruling by former Federal Judge Sue L. Robinson of a six-game suspension for predatory sexual behavior.

Then what? In what appears to be a situation where the thinking heads in Berea did not think it through, the appeal by the NFL to that decision could wind up with Watson serving at least an indefinite suspension for what has been labeled "egregious sexual behavior." The NFL wants to make a precedent-setting statement.

Now the Browns might get lucky if Harvey in his role as a neutral observer chooses to increase the suspension to as many as 10 or 12 games. But just about everything surrounding the probable outcome strongly hints the arbiter will fall on the side of the league and dole out at least the entire 2022 season.

The clock is ticking. The speed with which Harvey arrives with his ruling is almost as important as the ruling itself. An extremely harsh penalty could leave the Cleveland quarterbacks room bereft of someone experienced enough to be successful with the offense.

That offense, at least on paper, ranks among the most dangerous in the league. If Watson has to sit out this season, that experience evaporates. I don't want to hear about how capable Jacoby Brissett is. He is a career backup. And with the Joshes (Dobbs and Rosen) behind him, yikes!

One would like to think the front office has thought about worst-case scenario and already formulated Plans B, C and D in the event Harvey moves in that direction. That means populate the quarterbacks room with as much experience as possible.

So what do they do? First of all, they need to be prescient. Cover all angles. Decide on what to do in the event this happens. And what to do in the event that happens. And hope Harvey, no matter which way he rules, is quick enough where any of the plans can be implemented just as quickly. 

With that in mind, the rage all around the NFL landscape these days suggests the Browns target quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, on the trading block by the San Francisco 49ers, who will go this season with pro sophomore Trey Lance.

The Niners will move him one way or the other, but reportedly keep him on the roster until the final cutdown later this month in hopes of trading him. They do not want to risk flat out cutting him and watch NFC West rival Seattle, which needs a quarterback, pick him up.

Garoppolo, still young at 30 and loaded with postseason experience, would be a terrific fill-in for Watson even if it's for just one season. He would a perfect bridge quarterback. The Browns have all kinds of trade capital with which to satisfy the 49ers. 

All of which falls into the "if" category. Harvey triggers the next step, hopefully as early as the end of this week. The only thing that would keep the circus going then is the NFLPA filing a lawsuit against the league if they don't agree with the ruling.

Calling a bluff

(The following piece updates the original version of the Kareem Hunt situation).

If it isn't one thing, it's another at Browns training camp this season. 

First, it's the seemingly never-ending Deshaun Watson saga. Then the wide receivers room becomes a M*A*S*H unit early on when establishing timing in the passing game is so important. Now comes the news running back Kareem Hunt has given the front office an ultimatum.

Pay me or trade me, he sort of demanded in the midst of training camp in Berea. The Browns responded with a firm no and no. The Cleveland-area native is in the final year of a contract worth up to $6.75 million. And they say they are unwilling to trade him.

Hunt, who did only individual drills the last few days as protest, apparently changed his mind Sunday and was a full participant in team drills. The Browns basically called his bluff.

The original sticking point is Hunt, who had never before sat out games due to injury in his five-year National Football League career, missed nine games last season with ankle and calf problems. That worried the club. When healthy enough to play, though, he contributed 502 running and receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Hunt pronounced himself 100% healthy entering camp. At 27, he is the middle of his prime years. The Browns are saying in essence prove it and you will be compensated. Not sure why. He is not just your below-average player who needs to keep proving himself. He's better than that. A lot better.

His résumé suggests he is still among the best running backs in the National Football League even though he does not start. He led the league in rushing as a rookie with Kansas City in 2017 and made the Pro Bowl. He unfortunately now plays for the same team as the peerless Nick Chubb. 

Is there any question Hunt is the Browns' best all-around running back? He is not quite -- but very close to being -- as dangerous out of the backfield as a runner as Chubb. But he is unquestionably the most reliable receiver in the passing game except for maybe wideout Amari Cooper. His versatility knows no bounds.

A leading candidate for the camp's bad timing award, Hunt is not disgruntled with where he is and by whom he is getting paid. He loves playing for his hometown team, which picked him up as a free agent when the Chiefs cut him after getting caught lying about serious off-the-field behavior problems.

When he and Chubb suit up, the Browns are 13-6. When only one or neither play, they are 6-8. Stats like that speak volumes. In a game where wins and losses are the prevailing statistic, why don't the two sides sit down and try to work things out. Rhetorical question.

Hunt says he wants to continue play for the Browns and finish his career in Cleveland. At the same, he says is willing to continue his career elsewhere if the Browns choose not to accommodate him satisfactorily. 

Failing for a couple of days to not take part in team drills had to have ticked off head coach Kevin Stefanski and General Manager Andrew Berry. Stefanski has too much to be concerned with to bother answering questions about Hunt. The only way Berry responded was by messing with Hunt's paycheck on a daily basis. 

Stefanski's reply apparently resonated with Hunt, who acquiesced and resumed team drills Sunday and Berry's financial response was halted after just two days. From a harmonious team standpoint, it's a situation that was not allowed to fester. 

Yes the Browns called Hunt's bluff. But in this day and age, the unpredictable nature of athletes is such that something like this can turn on a dime. It bears watching.

A realistic look

I am a pessimist by nature. To me, the glass or jar or cup or bottle is always half empty. I don't believe half of what I read and hear. I can't help it. It's always been that way. 

Some consider that a dismal way to lead one's life. Those who almost always believe are the idealists of life. There is nothing wrong with that. I consider myself more of a realist. Initial doubt has enabled me to be more right than wrong during my career.

That said, I'll be blunt here regarding the Deshaun Watson saga, which has hovered over the Browns for way too long and is headed for what I believe is a highly unsatisfactory conclusion, After what has transpired this week, I don't think Watson takes a snap this season in a game that counts.

The National Football League is dead set on delivering one of the harshest penalties ever to Watson, declaring once and for all that what he did to to all those massage therapists a couple of years ago will not be tolerated and rewarded with just a slap on the wrist.

They want what amounts to a death sentence (NFL style) of no less than an indefinite suspension of at least a year, a significant fine, therapy to help his situation and a reentry generated only by Commissioner Roger Goodell. The league apparently was dumbfounded disciplinary officer Sue L.Robinson considered six games, therapy and no fine punishment enough. 

In their estimation, it did not fit the crime. The Shield was sullied, the league embarrassed by such a light sentence. Goodell wasted little time preparing for the next round by swiftly putting together an appeal and nominating Peter Harvey, a noted New Jersey attorney and former prosecutor, to handle the adjudication.

It must be noted here Harvey is one of the architects of the league's Personal Conduct Policy, which Watson has been found guilty of violating. He is considered an expert in domestic violence and sexual assault cases, both of which are central to this case.

The NFL Players Association filed its own brief Friday. Harvey, who has handled previous arbitrations independently for the NFL, will look at both sides' arguments and render his decision ostensibly next week. Per the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, it will be binding.

If it winds up where I believe it will, the NFLPA most likely will file suit in an effort to move the next round to the courts, obtaining a temporary restraining order to keep Watson eligible to play immediately. If that is the case, the league most likely will countersue.

In matters as sensitive and precedent-setting as this, the NFL generally gets what it wants. This is a league where the owners are in firm control. And right now, a large percentage of those owners reportedly are not thrilled with the entire Watson situation, especially his five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract.

In cases like this, especially those handled by a third party, neutrality is expected. Harvey's relationship with the league, however, seems on the surface to stack the deck against Watson, the NFLPA and the Browns by extension.

The fact Watson has not been remorseful -- he has repeatedly claimed his innocence --  might be a matter brought up by the NFL in its appeal. 

For the record, the Cleveland quarterback has publicly admitted his regrets the impact this whole matter has been on those around him, including the Cleveland community, his family, the Browns organization, his teammates and the fans. "It's tough to have to deal with," he said.

Nowhere in there is a syllable of remorse for what Robinson in her report labeled "egregious" and "predatory" behavior that landed him in this situation.

My pessimistic self says Goodell and the Shield will get their way and the fans will have to wait until next season to see their franchise quarterback in meaningful games. As always in matters such is this, hope I'm wrong.

Where art thou, Roger?

This Deshaun Watson thing is approaching a very interesting stage and is seemingly headed to one the Browns didn't think possible when they went after the former Houston Texans quarterback all those months ago.

It's getting even more interesting by the day in the battle -- call it Deshaun Watson vs. the National Football League --  to punish the Cleveland quarterback as harshly as possible for a recent history of predatory behavior with massage therapists.

After filing an appeal Wednesday to overturn the original adjudication by former Federal Court Judge Sue L. Robinson of a six-game suspension and no fine, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell surprisingly -- and curiously -- chose former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey on Thursday to hear the appeal.

Goodell is the man at whose desk everything stops in the NFL. Why back off now? It will be interesting to hear -- if he decides to explain (probably not) -- how and why he chose to take one giant step back back at this point and drop this mess in Harvey's lap.

It is becoming blatantly obvious the NFL, which initially pushed for a one-year suspension plus a substantial fine, sharply disagrees with Robinson in her first case as the league's disciplinary officer and seeks to restore their initial offer in the negotiation phase.

It is turning out to be a "your move" scrum that might not see closure until beyond the opening of league's regular season on Sept. 11. Too many unforeseen circumstances could happen to keep this saga from ending. 

Harvey, a former federal prosecutor and current member of the NFL's newly formed Diversity Advisory Committee, now has the hammer. He has handled previous league arbitrations for the league and possesses a strong background in domestic violence and sexual assault.

His decision will be binding, pending possible further legal action by the NFL Players Association, which was satisfied with the original ruling. He will hear both sides and then render a decision based on the facts. Both sides are entrenched in the belief their version of the punishment fits the crime.

Harvey's main role is to maintain neutrality. That could prove quite difficult. Bear in mind he is no stranger to the commissioner, having worked on previous arbitration cases for the league, slightly nudging the door open to a possible conspiracy.

If the union does not agree with Harvey's decision, a likelihood unless he stunningly chooses to agree with Robinson, it quite probably will file a lawsuit and let the courts make the ultimate decision. The only chance for quick closure is if Harvey chooses to talk to both sides seeking an equitable conclusion.

If this does, indeed, wind up in court, the chances of Watson opening the season as the starter improve if the NFLPA is granted a temporary restraining order freeing him up. But that's getting way ahead at this point. The focus now is on Harvey with Goodell firmly in the background.

Not over yet

Hold on just a minute there, Browns fans. Put your happiness at the Deshaun Watson decision on hold for who knows how long.

The National Football League Wednesday exercised its right to appeal the decision of former Federal District Court Judge Sue. L. Robinson, the league's disciplinary officer who punished Watson with a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Right now, the case appears headed straight to the desk of Commissioner Roger Goodell, who will be the final arbiter, as agreed to by the NFL Players Association in the last Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Goodell holds the hammer. His ultimate ruling, which conceivably could take weeks in reaching, is binding. According to the CBA, his decision will "constitute full, final and complete disposition of the dispute." 

Here is how it works. Goodell has the option of delegating either himself or a designee of his choice to respond in writing to Robinson's decision as to what the league believes is a more fitting punishment, ostensibly a longer suspension. It reportedly has already been filed.

One of the options is the NFL restoring its hardened stance during the negotiation stage of sitting the Cleveland quarterback down for a year with the commissioner's reinstatement the only way to resume his career. That move was rejected by Watson, the NFLPA and Robinson.

The league is pushing for the harshest penalty possible in order to set a precedent that violation of this rule will result in at least one year off.  They want to make certain something like this never happens again.

Another possibility is something I wrote about the other day. Splitting the difference between the six games Robinson ruled and the season-long suspension favored by the NFL. Something, say, like 12 games, a compromise by the NFL that was also initially turned down by Watson and the NFLPA.

It is also entirely possible that 12 could be used as a starting point in an effort to the take the six games  to somewhere between eight and 10. At this point, that's just a guess.

Yet another possibility, remote as it seems now with the league challenging Robinson, is Goodell shocks everyone, including 31 of his owners, by agreeing with the ex-judge and letting the initial ruling stand.

The NFLPA, which originally chose not to challenge's Robinson's ruling, will probably become a player if Goodell decides to throw out Robinson's ruling and impose a harsher punishment. The union most likely would file a lawsuit in an effort to settle this thing once and for all in court.

If it goes that far and it sure looks as though it will, it would bring to question why the league hired Robinson in the first place if it disagrees her very first ruling. It would suggest the league expected a lot more than six games.

Right now, this bump in the road is messing with the Browns' plans as they prepare for the 2022 regular season. Jacoby Brissett, per Robinson's ruling, is slated to start the first six games at quarterback before heading to the bench to back up Watson for the remainder of the season.

The front part of the last sentence is chiseled, pending Goodell's ruling. After that, a lot will depend on whether all this eventually hits the courts, delaying Watson's Cleveland debut even further, or is surprisingly settled. It could get messy.

Just give Watson eight or nine games and be done with it. Neither side will be happy, but at least a slice of normalcy will return to Berea. The preceding suggestion falls under the category of wishful thinking.

Feathery punishment

Deshaun Watson probably didn't feel it a bit. That is the tiny punitive slap on the pinky (can't even call it the wrist) handed down Monday by National Football League disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson.

The former U.S. District Court judge ruled the Browns quarterback, despite what she called "an egregious pattern of behavior," must serve a six-game suspension with no fine attached for violating the league's personal conduct policy. From a biblical standpoint, it appeared she made her decision with Solomonic reasoning. (More on that later.)

It was a light tap welcomed by those in Browns Nation who probably feared harsher punishment and who have no problem with Watson in Seal Brown and Orange. He has settled all but one of the 24 civil suits filed against him by massage therapists for sexual harassment.

Those disagreeing with the ruling, thinking the penalty was not nearly tough enough, probably believe Robinson's ruling was as egregious as Watson's behavior. 

The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center reacted sharply. "The six-game suspension given dangerously mirrors the flaws in our criminal justice systems and sends a a grave message to our communities.." the agency said in a statement initially reported by ESPN.

The National Football League Players Association, the Browns and Watson sought complete exoneration from the charges. The NFL reportedly lobbied for at least a one-year suspension with a reinstatement approved by only Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Neither got their wish. The NFLPA, Watson and the Browns are no doubt thrilled with the small number even though Watson maintains he did nothing wrong. The league, retaining the right to appeal the ruling. no doubt will extend the drama for the next three days, 

This one isn't over yet.

Goodell, the final authority in this drama, has several options to help form his ultimate judgment. He can overturn the ruling by extending the suspension to an undetermined length in an effort to make this a landmark case, assuring it is never repeated.

He can meet both parties in the middle and tack on, say, two more games but add a substantial fine. Or he can decide to go along with Robinson's ruling, which will no doubt anger current and former players who have received similar -- and sometimes longer -- suspensions for gambling and drug-related offenses.

It sure looks as though Robinson arrived at her decision, from a Biblical aspect, by splitting the baby. It stems from the biblical story of wise King Solomon, adjudicating a fight between two women claiming to be a baby's mother. He suggested dividing the child, giving each woman half.

When the real birth mother objected and said give the child to the other woman, Solomon at that point awarded the baby to her for willing to give it up to spare its life. Robinson appears to have split the difference between the warring sides in this case.

Considering everything involved in the case, the sentence was too light. Way too light. Goodell needs to correct this to make damn certain nothing like this ever happens again. Make the punishment precedent- setting. It will take a long time for the NFL -- and the Browns by extension -- to remove the stain and stench from his.

Robinson cited in her 16-page decision that Watson was a first-rime offender. She also pointed out how well he was received in the Houston community while playing for the Texans. Apparently, she believes that excuses his predatory ways. 

Watson -- and the Browns -- are most fortunate. I never liked or used the hackneyed term "dodged a bullet" before. But if anything qualifies for it to be used here, this one definitely does.

So get used to Jacoby Brissett for those six (maybe more) games.  Good thing four of them will be in front of the home fans.