The Houston Texans received the most credit they could receive regarding a trade. The Cleveland Browns' owner, Jimmy Haslam, admitted they made a mistake trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
"We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun," Haslam said Monday at the league's annual meeting. "We thought we had the quarterback; we didn't. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we've got to dig ourselves out of that hole.
The trade sent Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Browns in exchange for a 2022 first and fourth-round pick, a 2023 first and third-round pick, and a 2024 first and fourth-round pick.
Following the trade, Cleveland signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million deal that was fully guaranteed.
Watson came to the Browns as a three-time Pro Bowler, but injuries and off-the-field issues have plagued his tenure.
Watson has only started in 19 games in three seasons with the Browns and will miss a portion of the 2025 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
"... [The trade] was an entire organization decision and it ends with Dee [Haslam] and I, so hold us accountable."
Since the Watson trade, the Texans have rebuilt their roster into a consistent playoff team. They found their new franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud while building a great core around him.
Houston has made it to the Divisional Round in back-to-back seasons, finding success behind Stroud. Trading away Watson for the haul they received was an absolute win for the Texans.
The Browns will continue looking for a franchise quarterback while still being on the hook for two more years of Watson's contract.
"It would be great if we could get 'the quarterback,' but we're not going to force it," Haslam said. "We're going to be patient and we're going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can."
Texans address major need for C.J. Stroud
The Houston Texans might have won the AFC South and won a playoff game for the second straight year but the offensive line was not to thank for that. C.J. Stroud was sacked 52 times during the course of the regular season and was taken to the ground 11 times in two playoff games (eight of those coming in the divisional round against Kansas City).
So, with that said, seeing the Texans linked to offensive linemen in mock drafts isn't a surprise at all. The Texans traded Laremy Tunsil in the offseason, further indicating that they might have something up their sleeve regarding the o-line come draft time.
In the latest mock draft roundup, two analysts have the Texans taking an offensive tackle with their first-round pick while another has them going with a defensive player.
