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