New, different Watson

Browns mandatory minicamp officially concluded Thursday after three days as Browns Nation was treated to vast amounts of praise from the coaches and positive footage through the various social media outlets.

So what conclusions should denizens of the Nation come away with? Yes, it's only three days and the players worked out in shorts and helmets, but you gotta admit the offense sure looked good in the seven-on-seven drills.

The Deshaun Watson we all saw was brilliant, connecting on pass after pass with his new receiving corps. Had to be an imposter. Looked nothing like the quarterback who staggered through the final six games last season after serving an 11-game league suspension for being a bad boy off the field. 

His timing was impeccable, exquisite in fact, bordering on flawless. Yep, that's how good he was. The media marveled at his accuracy. This, most likely thought, was the quarterback the Browns traded for a year ago. He was like a machine, connecting on throw after throw.

And the new receivers? If this group had played with the Browns last season, we'd be talking now about them returning to the playoffs for the second straight season. The arrival of Elijah Moore, rookie Cedric Tillman and Marquise Goodwin make Watson downright dangerous.

For three days, we saw Moore making sensational catches while lining up all over the formation; Donovan Peoples-Jones constantly making defensive backs look foolish with his moves; Amari Cooper being Amari Cooper; Tillman using his 6-3 frame to win 50-50 balls.

The argument Watson had no one in his face is valid. But neither did Baker Mayfield, Jacoby Brissett, Johnny Manziel, Barndon Weeden, Brian Hoyer, Cody Kessler or DeShone Kizer the last 10 years and none threw like Watson.

So am I getting excited about the coming season? Not really. Way too early, of course. But the little I saw from a distance strongly suggests this new offense will be capable of doing something last season's team could not do: Flat out outscore the opposition, much like the 2020 team that made the postseason.

If you recall, the Cleveland defense that season was abominably worse than the last two seasons. They were pitiably awful. Any kind of decent offense the last two seasons could have overcome the embarrassing defensive  lapses. 

With the current group, that will not be the case. We saw a sneak preview of that in this minicamp. The Browns with all that offensive talent this season will rarely, if ever, be out of games. They do not lack the ability to come from behind.

Combine that with a decidedly improved defense under new coordinator Jim Schwartz -- it certainly can't be any worse --- and the likelihood of duplicating the outcome of the last two seasons shrinks considerably. 

Watson finally faces the pass rush when training camp officially opens July 22 at The Greenbrier, a luxurious hotel resort in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., in the Allegheny Mountains. After a nine-day stay, they move back to Berea.

Of course, Watson will be a different quarterback with defensive linemen in his face. But unless I miss my guess, head coach/playcaller/wannabe offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will occasionally turn his quarterback loose to pick up yardage with his legs to slow down the rush.

On paper, this is the most talented team the Browns have had since, well, since can't remember when. The last 25 seasons have been that dismal. That needs to change. And this team has the goods to change that.

As the late Marty Schottenheimer often said to his teams before games, "Deeds, men, not words. Deeds." Talk all you want, the former Browns head coach meant. Words mean nothing if there are no accomplishments to back them up. This team is in that position right now.