Texans trade Watson for three first-round picks in NFL draft

In a story that has been over a year in the making, Deshaun Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns. He was dealt for three first-round picks, a third rounder and a fifth. It is just the second trade in NFL history that had three first rounders traded for one player.

Deshaun Watson immediately makes the Brown a Super Bowl contender, but it comes with a lot of controversy. Watson sat out all of last year due to a court battle where he had 22 sexual assault accusations. In a criminal court last week, he wasn’t charged. However, he could still be charged in a civil court. It also remains to be seen whether he will be suspended for any games next year.

While the legal situation and morality of Watson remains murky, his talent is clear. Immediately after the trade, the Browns signed him to a fully guaranteed 5 year $230 million contract. He is their new franchise quarterback.

This is the official end of the Baker Mayfield era in Cleveland. He requested a trade a couple days ago when the Browns first pursued Watson and now that the deal is official, Mayfield will be a hot commodity for QB needy teams.

The Browns had a disappointing season last year going 8-9 but have a good base of players and Watson has the ability to take them to the next level. He is now 26 years old and the last season he played, he had 4823 yards, 33 passing touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also has the ability to run, and has 17 rushing touchdowns in his young career.

The Browns now have a stacked offense featuring Watson and one of the best running backs in the league in Nick Chubb. They also traded for Amari Cooper from the Cowboys and he will be the Browns best wide receiver for the foreseeable future.

While the Browns are a good team, and in a great position to win, it will not be easy. The Browns are in a division with the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals and the Lamar Jackson led Baltimore Ravens. There are a lot of good teams with young quarterbacks in the AFC, but the Browns can match up to any of them.

This offseason has been absurd for NFL fans as it feels like a big trade has happened every couple days. This is just the latest domino to fall and it doesn’t appear like the drama is over yet. The season cannot come soon enough, but the offseason has provided a ton of new storylines. We’ll see what happens next.