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.