The Daily Briefing Tuesday, March 22, 2022

NFC EAST

DALLAS

Cowboys TE DALTON SCHULTZ has signed his franchise tag. Charean Williams ofESPN.com:

The sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal. Otherwise, he will play this season under the one-year, $10.9 million tender.

The Cowboys waived tight end Blake Jarwin with an injury designation after Jarwin had offseason hip surgery. That left Jeremy Sprinkle, Sean McKeon and Ian Bunting as the only tight ends under contract for the Cowboys until Schultz’s signing Monday.

Schultz played all 33 games the past two seasons, starting 29, and made 141 receptions for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns.

A fourth-round choice in 2018, Schultz made only 13 catches his first two seasons combined.

WASHINGTON

Kevin Patra on how the Commanders set up the Colts to get QB MATT RYAN:

Indy owes the Washington Commanders a thank-you card

The Colts could swing a Ryan trade in part because the Commanders shipped two third-round picks (one conditional that can become a second-rounder) for Wentz while taking on the QB’s hefty salary. Without that piece of the puzzle, a move for Ryan doesn’t happen. In acquiring Ryan, Indy simply had to flip one of its third-rounders to Atlanta and use the cap space to sweeten the deal for the new QB. Seems like an easy move.

After the Colts traded Wentz, reports poured out of Indy that the brass was disappointed in the QB as a leader. Now the Colts are upgrading to a resoundingly respected Ryan. Look no further than how he handled the Falcons going after Watson to understand the type of person he is in the locker room.

Even in a trade Washington isn’t involved in, the Commanders still somehow come out on the losing end.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

Kevin Patra of NFL.com on what the Falcons are thinking:

 Falcons blowing it up

After the pursuit of Deshaun Watson failed, Atlanta decided to blow up the entire operation. Ryan was the last piece keeping the Flacons in the not-good-but-not-horrendous purgatory of the NFL. Without the veteran MVP, ATL could contend for the 2023 No. 1 overall pick. The WR corps is in shambles with Calvin Ridley suspended for the year. The O-line remains a big question mark. Outside of Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson, there isn’t an intriguing player on offense. The defense has a few pieces in stud cornerback A.J. Terrell, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and newly signed corner Casey Hayward, but it remains a rebuilding, suspect group. Now with a hole at QB, the Falcons are in rebuild mode. Perhaps Arthur Blank can spare some Home Depot tools for the reconstruction. The willingness to eat $40.5-plus million in dead cap by trading Ryan signals that second-year GM Terry Fontenot is ready to reset the deck completely.

Shortly after trading Ryan, Atlanta scooped up Marcus Mariota, giving the Falcons a vet with starting experience to bridge to the next phase of the rebuild. This is like the Lions taking on Jared Goff last offseason, although Atlanta’s move came at a much smaller price tag than Detroit’s. Mariota’s a QB who can run the offense but probably isn’t winning too many games to hurt your chances of getting a high draft pick to potentially select the next franchise signal-caller.

CAROLINA

Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com has a QB he thinks makes sense for the Panthers:

The Panthers have struck out in their pursuit of every superstar quarterback. Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson and now Watson have all chosen to go elsewhere over the past year. Their desperation a year ago led them to trade for Sam Darnold, and they will be feeling that pinch in 2022. Carolina sent the 38th pick in this year’s draft to the Jets for Darnold, and Matt Rhule & Co. picked up his fifth-year option, guaranteeing him $18.9 million this year.

Assuming the Panthers don’t trade away another pick to try to get someone to eat the Darnold money, they find themselves in a difficult position. He is a sunk cost at this point, and if they don’t love any of the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, they would likely prefer to add someone such as NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the No. 6 pick. Using a middle-rounds pick on a project signal-caller doesn’t push the Panthers forward, and there aren’t many veterans left with a significant ceiling. They might instead need to get creative.

Quarterback they should add: Jordan Love. If the Panthers are looking for upside and a long-term solution, one place to try to find that quarterback would be to go after the guy who was briefly the future of the Packers. We’ve seen only 62 middling pass attempts from Love through his first two seasons, but Carolina reportedly did serious research on Love before the 2020 draft. The Packers traded up to grab Love at the bottom of the first round, so we don’t know whether Rhule would have taken him with the 38th pick.

The Packers can’t realistically expect to recoup a first-round pick for Love, who hasn’t had a chance to show much and hasn’t looked great when he has played. Love still has two years left on his rookie deal plus the possibility of a fifth-year option, so he would still be a reasonably low-cost option for a team to investigate. With two first- and second-round picks in this draft, Green Bay doesn’t really need extra selections in 2022.

Instead, the Panthers can send a 2023 second-round pick to the Packers for Love with a conditional pick in 2024 if Love emerges as an instant starter. It’s difficult for a struggling team like the Panthers to repeatedly trade away draft picks, but if Love turns out to be the starter they’ve wanted, they wouldn’t regret the cost. If Love isn’t the answer, they would still have their first-round pick and be in position to draft another passer next year.

NEW ORLEANS

The Saints have settled on two more years of QB JAMEIS WINSTON. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Jameis Winston will remain in New Orleans.

Winston and the Saints have agreed to a two-year contract, according to NFL Network. The deal is reportedly worth $28 million, with $21 million of it guaranteed.

The Saints attempted to upgrade at quarterback this offseason, including by trying to trade for Deshaun Watson, but in the end they’ve decided to go back to Winston, who led them to a 5-2 start last season before suffering a torn ACL.

If Winston is healthy and ready to go, all expectations are that he’ll be the Week One starter in New Orleans. If it takes Winston longer than 10 months to be ready to go, backup quarterbacks Ian Book and Blake Bortles would likely compete to start until Winston is healthy.

TAMPA BAY

This from WR CHRIS GODWIN.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 of the 2021 season, and he had surgery in early January. On Monday, when Godwin’s three-year deal with the team was announced, Godwin understandably was asked about his rehab.

“I’m doing really well in my recovery,” Godwin told reporters. “I’m very pleased with this process so far. Obviously, it’s a long one. So [I] can’t really project too far into the future. I just try to take it day-by-day, just like I have with my entire career. But I like where I’m at right now. I’m feeling confident about this season, I’m excited that we’re getting a lot of the guys back. It’s a long road here, and I’m ready to be a part of the whole thing.”

In dealing with his injury, Godwin compared notes with quarterback Tom Brady, who suffered a torn ACL in Week One of the 2008 season.

“We talked a little bit, but we play a different position and everybody’s recovery is different,” Godwin said. “We’re all different people, we all respond differently. I think the best advice that I’ve gotten, from him and other people, is just attack it like you attack anything else and that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t know any other way. I’m just thrilled to be back, thrilled to be healing. You kind of take for granted sometimes some of the little stuff — the walking, riding bikes, and doing athletic movements. Now, I get to re-find that joy in those things.”

Eventually, he’ll re-find the joy in the big things, like playing football once against for the Buccaneers.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com on why QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO remains a 49er.

To the surprise of many, perhaps even some of those inside the walls of team headquarters, Jimmy Garoppolo is still a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

The first week of the new league year has come and gone and the Niners have yet to find a taker for Garoppolo on the trade market. As the game of quarterback musical chairs continues, the amount of open seats has significantly dwindled and the final tunes are about to be played.

All of which begs one big question: Why have the Niners been unable to deal Garoppolo?

Too many other dominoes

After the 49ers fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan mostly played coy about Garoppolo’s future, but it was clear from Garoppolo’s own news conference that he believed his days as a Niner were all but over. Garoppolo offered an emotional goodbye and acknowledged that he and Lynch discussed trade destinations.

The hope for both parties was that Garoppolo would be one of the best quarterbacks available in a market full of teams in need. For a moment, at least, it looked like that might happen. Tom Brady retired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson appeared to be staying put in Green Bay and Seattle, respectively. Nobody knew what to make of Deshaun Watson’s pending legal issues.

It all changed when Brady announced he was coming back, which became the domino that set off a wild round of quarterback movement. Soon after, Wilson was traded to Denver, a double whammy for the Niners. It removed the Broncos as a potential suitor and left a quarterback void on the division rival Seattle Seahawks, a team the 49ers would prefer not to trade with.

The news got worse for the 49ers when the Washington Commanders traded a pair of third-round picks to the Indianapolis Colts for Carson Wentz, in no small part because of Garoppolo’s pending right shoulder surgery.

When a Harris County grand jury declined to indict Watson on sexual misconduct allegations, he immediately became the object of the remaining QB-focused teams’ desire. Watson’s trade to the Cleveland Browns tipped over even more unforeseen dominoes, leading to Jameis Winston’s return to the New Orleans Saints, Matt Ryan’s trade to the Colts and Marcus Mariota’s signing with the Atlanta Falcons.

As it stands, the Browns are seeking a home for Baker Mayfield with the Carolina Panthers and Seattle as the two most logical landing spots remaining for him and Garoppolo.

It always made sense that teams in need of quarterback help would want to pursue bigger and better options than Garoppolo. Few could have foreseen that so many would be available, though.

Shoulder surgery snag

Even if the 49ers had found offers for Garoppolo in, say, February, news of his right shoulder surgery and inability to throw until early July would have tossed a wrench into any deal. Trades agreed to at that time could not be made official until March 16, and trades also require physicals, which Garoppolo probably wouldn’t have passed. The reset button could have easily come into play on any agreed-upon pact.

Garoppolo’s shoulder injury means he would likely miss the entire offseason program for a new team, no small thing for a quarterback learning a new system. That’s something that concerned the Colts and at least one other interested team.

The shoulder surgery also added to a lengthy list of injuries on Garoppolo’s résumé. A big part of the reason the Niners are moving on from him is his inability to consistently stay on the field.

That’s also the chance the Niners took by hanging on to Garoppolo, starting him throughout the season and hoping he could reestablish his trade value. He almost made it, but his latest injury happened at the worst possible time for a trade to come together.

‘At his ceiling’

Of course, there are football reasons that a deal for Garoppolo hasn’t come together. Multiple sources outside the organization wondered whether Garoppolo is already “at his ceiling” and suggested that moving away from a good situation with Shanahan designing and calling the plays and the talent surrounding him would make it difficult to get commensurate production elsewhere.

Since Garoppolo doesn’t rise to the level of a Wilson or Watson, it’s understandable why a team would be hesitant to give up much in compensation and salary (roughly $25 million for an acquiring team) for a player who might be no more than a one-year placeholder.

It’s why, when combined with the shoulder injury, a team such as the Pittsburgh Steelers would rather roll the dice on upside with a younger, cheaper and more athletic player in Mitch Trubisky.

The Niners could still find a trade partner for Garoppolo, though when and for what are increasingly difficult questions to answer. Hanging on to him for now is possible and would provide some financial benefit since he is due a $7.5 million injury guarantee. On the field, keeping Garoppolo wouldn’t technically interfere with the transition to Trey Lance since Garoppolo isn’t able to participate in the offseason program anyway, leaving Lance to get the starter’s reps.

Eventually, though, something is going to have to change. It’s hard to envision a scenario where Garoppolo is back on his current contract, though retaining him to gain more certainty about Lance’s progress is an option.

Releasing Garoppolo would save about $18 million, with the other $7.5 million to come back once he signs with another team for up to that amount. That’s an outcome that seems unlikely, at least for right now, since things can change elsewhere with injuries or draft plans or both. It can’t be ruled out down the line, however.

One way or the other, it appears more patience is required before a resolution is found.

This from Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

The quarterback carousel this offseason has been a wild ride, but there are still players looking for new homes. Free agents like Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota have still yet to put pen to paper, and then there are a couple of other quarterbacks, like Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo, waiting to be traded.

With Mayfield and Garoppolo having already been replaced, it’s curious as to what their teams could get in exchange for their services. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch is telling interested teams that they have an offer of two second-round picks for Garoppolo on the table.

As for the team that has made this reported offer, it’s likely either the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints or Carolina Panthers. The Seattle Seahawks are another team looking for a new quarterback, but the 49ers likely wouldn’t trade Garoppolo within the division.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Adam Teicher of ESPN.com on QB MATTHEW STAFFORD’s four-year extension and his reaction to the acquisition of WR ALLEN ROBINSON:

The Los Angeles Rams wanted a contract extension with quarterback Matthew Stafford for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that in his first year with the team, he led the franchise to a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

They didn’t have to work hard to persuade Stafford, who might have wanted the new contract as much as — if not more than — the Rams. He indicated on Monday his experience with the Rams was everything he hoped for, particularly in light of his 12 difficult seasons with the Detroit Lions.

“I just had so much fun playing for this team this year, playing for this organization, this coaching staff, and I wanted to make sure I was able to do this for a long time,” said Stafford, who recently agreed to the four-year extension worth $160 million with $135 guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“I obviously wanted to say thanks to the Rams for giving me that opportunity. It was a lot of hard work getting to this point. I’m just happy where we are and to know what the future looks like for me and for our team. It’s an exciting thing as a player to kind of know where you are going to be and be able to put some roots down and really go try to make something really special for a while.

“I was just trying to find something that felt good for both sides where we are able to continue to add players and pieces around me.”

The Rams also recently signed free agent Allen Robinson II from the Chicago Bears to join a wide receiving group that includes Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson. Robinson is well known for making difficult catches in tight coverage.

“Some of the areas that becomes such an advantage is probably down in the red zone,” Stafford said. “There’s just less field for defenders to defend. Therefore, it’s a little bit easier to cover guys. His ability to go up and make catches over guys, around guys, whatever it is, is really special. I’ve seen it up close and personal.

“At the same time, for a guy of his size, I think he does a great job of separating, too. There are quite a few times where he’s doing a great job whether it’s at the line of scrimmage or whether it’s at the top of his route transitioning and doing a great job of creating space for the quarterback as well. I think you get the best of both worlds when it comes to that with him. I’m eager to get out there and get to work with him and see what it’s like throwing to him.”

Robinson said he was eager to play with Stafford as well.

“Just kind of watching Matt’s career from afar, seeing all of the receivers he’s played with and being able to see everything he’s been able to help his receivers accomplish … being able to kind of step into that and being able to build that rapport and that relationship, that’s what I’m looking forward to,” he said.

Kupp had one of the best statistical seasons ever by a wide receiver in 2021 with 145 catches, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He then had another 33 receptions and six TDs in four playoff games, including two scores in the Super Bowl.

Robinson had a down season last year but is one year removed from a 102-catch, 1,250-yard season. Stafford was asked whether the Rams have the NFL’s best wide receiving group.

“It looks pretty good on paper,” he said. “It’s on us to go out there and make sure that comes to life … We’ve got to go out there and prove it.”

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

The Browns are giving six picks to the Texans for QB DESHAUN WATSON. SI.com:

Originally, the Texans were trading Watson and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Instead, Houston is now sending the signal-caller and a sixth-round pick in the same draft.

The Browns are sending over a 2022, 2023 and 2024 first-round pick along with a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, a third-round pick in the 2023 draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft. The fourth-rounder in 2022 was not originally mentioned in the previous reports.

Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com says there are those in the NFL aghast at the riches being bestowed on Watson:

Immediately after details of Deshaun Watson’s trade to the Cleveland Browns came together Friday, the long-term ramifications on the NFL began to buzz through front offices and the league’s agent community.

The reworked contract is far richer and more alarming in structure than anyone expected. And the trade package the Houston Texans netted for Watson was definitely smaller than anticipated.

The legacy of it all: There was little doubt in anyone’s mind that this was a moment of disruption for the mega-contracts reserved for the most elite quarterbacks. I/t could ripple with other top players, too — which, in the kindest analysis, was poorly received elsewhere.

“Fully guaranteed [five years] and [$90 million] more total guaranteed than [Patrick] Mahomes?!” one executive texted Yahoo Sports.

“F***ing ridiculous,” another said.

It’s not unusual to get a salty reaction when a contract breaks through a few walls of precedent in any given offseason, especially when it’s a sizable quarterback deal. But Watson’s new contract with Cleveland was particularly jarring given that he’s still facing 22 civil lawsuits for an array of sexual misconduct allegations which theoretically gave pursuing teams a reason to mitigate risk and exposure. But the Browns flipped that ideology and used the risk as a negotiating advantage.

The franchise showed an eye-popping willingness to expose itself to downside while giving Watson the most guaranteed money in history and a contract structure that appears to protect him financially in the event of a suspension in 2022.

For multitude reasons, it’s the kind of deal that won’t be popular for some other teams, not to mention a league office that now must grapple with a chess match designed to protect Watson from financial penalties under the personal conduct policy. Among the granular details in the deal and the potential reverberations:

• Watson got more total guaranteed money than any player in NFL history, despite having a résumé that doesn’t stack up with many of his elite contemporaries. Some teams will take the position at the negotiating table that Watson’s deal is an outlier born from desperation, timing and circumstance. NFL teams simply don’t trade quarterbacks of Watson’s age and caliber, let alone when that quarterback has a no-trade clause significantly shifting leverage into the player’s hands. Agents also will rarely have a player of Watson’s stature, leverage and circumstance to create this kind of scenario.

• Watson got more guaranteed years than any player in NFL history. This is particularly upsetting for some teams who were already grousing about the prospect of fighting off four years of guaranteed money as the new standard for basically all top-10 quarterback deals. This deal will basically seal that prospect, particularly after Matthew Stafford’s recent contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams, which is basically four years of realistic guaranteed payouts for $152 million.

In essence, every top-10 NFL quarterback and likely some on that fringe will now be looking at four years of ironclad guarantees. The question now is whether elite-level deals for upcoming young quarterbacks — like the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow — will be five fully guaranteed years.

• The contract structure for Watson has also become an eyebrow-raiser, since it lowers his base salary in 2022 to only $1.035 million. The concern with that is pointed largely at the NFL, who could suspend Watson this coming season under the personal conduct policy due to his 22 pending civil lawsuits. Unless the NFL levels a massive (and unprecedented) fine as part of a suspension, whatever game checks Watson potentially misses next season would come out of that $1.035 million.

In effect, he could face a limited financial penalty for missed games in 2022. His remaining guaranteed money also won’t be voided for suspension, per terms of the contract. That’s a striking level of protection for Watson against NFL penalties. That is also going to open Cleveland to a lot of scrutiny from critics and possibly even the league office, which isn’t likely to be pleased about a chess move to lessen a personal conduct penalty.

Taken in its full context, the trade was nothing less than a Tour-De-Leverage for Watson and the Browns.

As one league executive framed it, this was a prime example of Watson using his no-trade clause as leverage against the Texans (who ultimately had to trade him to his preferred destination), but also against teams courting him (who had to meet his financial demands to stay on his list).

The executive also made an interesting point: Once Watson chose his team, that franchise could then use Watson’s no-trade clause to knock down some of the trade terms.

“[Browns general manager Andrew Berry] bought the leverage he needed from Watson’s side with that deal,” the executive said. “With the draft picks the Texans got back, you could see what that contract did for the Browns. They were strong at the [negotiating] table because Watson was all-in with them and that contract. It gave the Browns a chance to push back a little and probably saved them two second-round picks or some starters.”

“When I heard the picks [three first-rounders, a third and a fourth], I thought some players must be going [to the Texans],” the executive continued. “But you could see why that didn’t happen. That contract made Cleveland [Watson’s] only destination. And that gave Cleveland leverage to basically make it a trade for three [firsts].”

How the rest all plays out remains to be seen. Without question, the terms of Watson’s deal will factor into some significant quarterback contracts in the next few years. Watson’s salary load will also impact the Browns’ roster-building efforts, too. And there’s still no clarity on what will happen in his legal future, with some of his first civil cases slated to enter a courtroom this offseason.

Those civil cases could weigh on a suspension in 2022 or beyond, making the trade, compensation and contract extension only the first in a line of events that could shape parts of the league for years to come. That means in many ways, last week’s trade was a beginning as much as it was an ending for Watson, the NFL, and both the Browns and Texans.

Albert Breer of SI.com on how the trade came to be:

The first thing you need to know about how this went down is, after very little movement over a year, things started to move very fast following the grand-jury ruling.

Watson’s camp started with a list of 13 teams that he and his team, through their research, believed would have an interest once the legal situation gained clarity. Ahead of the grand-jury decision, the embattled quarterback had cut the list down to eight teams that he’d consider going to.

And that’s really where the process of offloading Watson began for the Texans, some 14 months after the quarterback’s initial trade request, and a little less than a year since the first lawsuit against him was filed, and where Watson’s search for a new home would accelerate.

• The Texans opened discussions on trade packages with the teams Watson said he’d consider waiving his no-trade clause to go to, but they didn’t have turnkey deals in place with each of them. Instead, GM Nick Caserio established a threshold of three first-rounders with additional considerations—and teams would need to cross that threshold to get permission to talk to Watson from Houston. The idea was simply to save the Texans and the other teams the time of going down the road with Watson if a deal wasn’t feasible.

Three teams failed to clear the threshold or withdrew interest, and the Colts were eliminated because, with other viable options, the Texans weren’t trading Watson in-division. From there, Caserio granted the Saints, Falcons, Panthers and Browns permission to meet with Watson.

• Watson’s camp set up meetings with the Saints and Falcons for Monday, and the Browns for Tuesday at the office of Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, in Houston—Hardin offered the space because the player and teams simply needed a private, secure place to talk. With plans to work out in Atlanta with his quarterback trainer, Quincy Avery, set for later in the week, the Falcons’ meeting was arranged for Wednesday in Georgia.

Each team brought its general manager and head coach, and three of the four had their owners at the initial meetings, too. Saints owner Gayle Benson was the one who didn’t make it to the first set of meetings, and as New Orleans progressed as a serious contender for Watson, the Saints and Watson’s camp arranged a second meeting for Wednesday night in Atlanta, after the Falcons meeting, so the owner could meet the quarterback.

• The Browns, according to a source close, intrigued Watson from the start. He liked the roster that Berry had built, and that Berry was young, and would be around a while, appealed to him. When he talked X’s and O’s with coach Kevin Stefanski, Stefanski told Watson what he liked about his game, a detailed plan for how he’d use him in his offense and also where he thought Watson needed to improve as a player. He also liked how Jimmy and Dee Haslam knew the roster. They knew every player, how each contributed to the team, their contracts, age, and how they projected out into the future.

• Still, at that point, Watson was uneasy about going north to Cleveland, and casting his lot in a cold-weather city after playing high school football in Georgia, college football in South Carolina and pro football in Texas. So on Wednesday, Watson personally called Berry and explained to him why he was eliminating the Browns. Berry wished Watson well, and then called Mulugheta and told him he’d stay in touch and that he’d still be interested if Watson, for some reason, changed his mind.

• According to a Browns source, by then, they had done a lot of the work in vetting Watson, and really ramped up their background research in January as their season ended. They had their security people and their lawyers on it, and also deployed private investigators to dig into the cases against Watson, and also his past, going back to his time in high school and college. They were among the teams that had gone through the depositions of the 22 women alleging sexual misconduct by Watson, as well, though lawyer Tony Buzbee told ESPN on Sunday that none of the teams involved contacted him or the women directly.

• The Panthers were eliminated Thursday night, which put Watson at the end of his process, hoping to decide between the Falcons (who had geography going for them) and the Saints (who had the aforementioned recent on-field success on their side).

And that’s where the Browns got back into it.

So yes, Watson, according to a source, liked his interactions with the Browns’ brass, but he liked the Saints, Panthers and Falcons, too. And sure, the owners had impressed him, as had Stefanski’s plans and Berry’s work on putting the team together.

But more than anything else, when it came back to being a football decision for Watson, it was the roster that separated Cleveland. He not only saw the Browns as talented, he loved how young they were in key spots. The line, he figured, would be the best he’d ever played behind. The backs were as good as any in football, and there was depth at tight end, too. Amari Cooper was coming in. The defense had Myles Garrett and a loaded secondary. And so many of these guys stood to get better and stay in Cleveland for a long time to come.

So he told Mulugheta, who called Berry and told him to call Caserio to work out the trade. The agreement, which started roughly as three first-round picks and then some, morphed into this final deal on Friday afternoon.

Browns get: QB Deshaun Watson, 2024 fifth-round pick.

Texans get: 2022 first-round pick, ’23 first-round pick, ’23 third-round pick, ’24 first-round pick, ’24 fourth-round pick.

On one side of the deal, Caserio had what he’d been patient in waiting for—the sort of historic haul a 26-year-old franchise quarterback, who happened to be under contract for four more years, should bring. After Watson first requested the trade, before the lawsuits were filed, and at a time when Caserio was unwilling to move him, the Texans had been offered packages of three first-round picks and more. Those sorts of offers, without qualifiers, evaporated once the allegations against Watson surfaced.

And so Caserio was disciplined at the beginning of training camp, and at the trade deadline, in waiting for another market deal to come around, and the grand-jury decision finally brought him those sorts of offers again, off which he can juice his rebuild.

On the other side of the deal, the Browns still had some work to do. It’d become clear that Watson’s camp was looking for new money and new guarantees as part of a trade. And the Browns, upon learning they were Watson’s pick, pushed the trade over the goal line with an unprecedented, fully guaranteed five-year offer worth $230 million that offers him protection against a suspension in its structure (His 2022 base is just $1 million, and that’s where the money he’d lose during a suspension would be coming from).

So what does all this say about the NFL and Watson, given that the civil cases are still pending? That’s been discussed over the last few days and will continue to be discussed in the weeks and months to come. To be sure, there are a lot more serious matters at hand here than just football.

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS

The Athletic’s top experts evaluate the trade:

Overall thoughts on the Colts’ trade for Matt Ryan, the compensation and how he’ll fit in Indianapolis?

Jones: Ryan was the Colts’ best option. Indianapolis had to give up little in return, and assuming Ryan doesn’t require a new contract (The Athletic’s Stephen Holder reported he won’t), he’s quite affordable. We should not expect 2016-MVP-level play out of Ryan, but in Indianapolis, he’ll play behind a much better offensive line than he’s had in Atlanta recently. He also has a powerful running back in Jonathan Taylor and an offensive-minded head coach in Frank Reich who knows how to cater his offense to an older quarterback. Perhaps most important for the Colts right now is Ryan should excel as a locker room leader and be a strong, stabilizing presence despite the years of quarterback turnover.

Nguyen: Maybe the Falcons could have squeezed a second-round pick if they really wanted, but this seems like a fair deal for an aging quarterback who is declining. I really like this fit. I think Ryan is better than Philip Rivers was when he signed with the Colts in 2020. With a good offensive line, strong run game and disruptive defense, Ryan won’t be asked to shoulder as much as he had to in Atlanta.

Pompei: It’s a big win for the Colts to get a player of Ryan’s caliber at this stage of the quarterback musical-chairs game. It’s a little reminiscent of their Rivers signing two years ago. This should enable them to be a contender in 2022. But it’s a short-term fix and the Colts still will need to keep their eyes down the road and try to acquire a younger quarterback if an appealing one is available. Getting Ryan for a third-round pick is a reflection of his contract — but it’s an excellent value for the Colts.

Sando: I thought the price would be higher for the desperate Colts, but I underestimated how motivated the Falcons were to unload him by the deadline for his bonus. That was a critical factor and one reason the Colts could wait out Atlanta, as long as Indy was confident there wasn’t another team more eager to acquire Ryan.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

Reinforcements for the Bills. Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com:

– The Buffalo Bills made two moves to bolster their offense Monday, agreeing to a deal with veteran running back Duke Johnson while also, sources confirmed to ESPN, agreeing to terms with receiver Jamison Crowder on a one-year contract.

Johnson is signing a one-year deal with the team, his agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The moves come after Buffalo had lost out on running back J.D. McKissic to the Washington Commanders last week.

The Bills initially agreed to terms with McKissic last Tuesday, but the Commanders ended up swooping in, and — after initially not offering McKissic a deal — gave him a two-year contract worth up to $7 million, similar to what Buffalo was offering.

“I’ve had it before where the agent has agreed with you on something and then someone else calls and says, ‘Hey, what if I add a million dollars? Or what if I do this? What if I guarantee this?'” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said last week, expressing his frustration with how Washington handled the situation. “Once you have an agreement the agent’s supposed to say it’s over. And this agent did that. And this agent told the other club it’s over. But the other club didn’t back off.”

Similar to McKissic, Johnson, 28, has had success as a receiving back in the past, starting his career with five straight seasons with 400-plus receiving yards. He has 12 career receiving touchdowns after spending four seasons with the Browns, two with the Texans and one with the Dolphins.

The 2015 third-round pick played in five games for the Dolphins last year and had some success on the ground. Johnson had two 100-yard rushing performances in the last four games of the season and 330 total rushing yards and three touchdowns on 71 carries for Miami.

Buffalo needed to add depth to the running back room after Matt Breida hit free agency following one season with the Bills and signed with the New York Giants on Monday. Breida saw limited action with the Bills, playing on 13.1% of the team’s offensive snaps. Johnson will likely be in a similar position on the roster and will have to earn his snaps.

Crowder, who turns 29 in June, led the Jets in receptions in each of the past three seasons, becoming the first player since Jerricho Cotchery (2007-09) to do that. On the downside, his production dropped each year, as he went from 78 catches to 59 to 51, with injuries a big factor.

Plagued by soft-tissue leg injuries, Crowder missed nine games over the past two seasons. He was on the reserve/COVID-19 list for one of those games while recovering from a groin injury.

THIS AND THAT

WHAT’S LEFT ON THE QB MARKET

More thoughts on the last spins on the QB carousel from the experts of The Athletic:

Which team that still needs a starting quarterback is sweating the most right now?

Nguyen: The Seahawks don’t seem to be interested in a rebuild even after trading Wilson. Right now, though, their starting quarterback is Lock. And no matter what they say, they can’t be confident with Lock at the helm. They seem to like Malik Willis, but there’s a chance he’s off the board before Seattle picks at No. 9. In a better quarterback class, Willis wouldn’t go this high, but he’s the only prospect with significant upside. After him, there really isn’t a quarterback who should be drafted in the top 10. Maybe Seattle can swing a trade for Mayfield?

Pompei: The Panthers have kicked a lot of tires without making a deal. They need to find a quarterback who can save the jobs of some of the people running the team.  That’s a big ask. Their starter for the first game of the season likely is not on their roster at the moment.

Sando: Carolina is clearly desperate, but I’m not sure how the Panthers are going to resolve the situation. Seattle has a two-year window here to use its draft choices and figure out that position. I do think the Seahawks are in the market for a QB, but I do not think they are desperate enough to acquire a middling one costing premium draft capital plus salary. Pittsburgh seems like another team willing to bide its time a little. Philly might consider a QB, but probably won’t like any of them more than it likes Jalen Hurts.

Jones: From what I understand, the Panthers were in on the Deshaun Watson trade sweepstakes the earliest. Losing out on Watson likely puts Carolina in a desperate position without a good Plan B beyond selecting a quarterback in the draft next month.

Which team would be the best fit for Baker Mayfield?

Pompei: Mayfield seems like the type of player Pete Carroll might like to take on.  A competition between Mayfield and Lock could serve the Seahawks well.  The Seahawks also have a surplus of trade ammunition — though it probably won’t take much to trade for Mayfield now.

Sando: There are two types of fits that matter here. Scheme-wise, I think an up-tempo offense suits him. Culture-wise, a place that allows for big personalities suits him. I’m not sure the teams needing quarterbacks fit both descriptions well. Washington could have been an interesting spot for him, but the Commanders went with Wentz.

Jones: I don’t know what it would ultimately mean from a football standpoint, but a Mayfield vs. Lock quarterback competition in Seattle would be entertaining for football Twitter. Seattle might offer Mayfield the best path to a starting job in 2022.

Nguyen: The Seahawks would be a good fit for Mayfield. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron runs a similar system to the one Mayfield played in with Cleveland and he’d have two star receivers (DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett) to throw to. There would be no pressure to “let Mayfield cook.” A healthy Mayfield would be a significant upgrade over Lock and give the Seahawks a chance to compete.

BROADCAST NEWS

Al Michaels will team with Kirk Herbstreit in the inaugural season of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football.  Andrew Marchand of the New York Post with that story and more: as we boldface some tidbits:

Do you believe in streaming?

Legendary NFL play-by-player Al Michaels is in agreement with Amazon Prime Video to lead its booth when it begins its exclusive coverage of “Thursday Night Football” in the fall, The Post has learned.

Michaels’ partner will be ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit. An official announcement could come as early as this week.

Amazon declined to comment.

Michaels is expected to sign the contract shortly, after several months of negotiations. Michaels, whose contract is for three years, will be paid near the Joe Buck neighborhood, according to sources.

Buck signed a five-year, $75 million deal with ESPN to join his longtime partner at Fox, Troy Aikman, on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”

Herbstreit, who has two years remaining on his ESPN deal, will also continue on “College GameDay” and Saturday college games. The terms of Herbstreit’s Amazon contract are not yet fully known, but sources said it is for eight figures a year.

The 77-year-old Michaels was a free agent after he called his record tying 11th Super Bowl on TV for NBC last month. Michaels will still do a game or two for NBC, including its extra NFL playoff game, according to sources. NBC decided to replace Michaels with Mike Tirico as its “Sunday Night Football” play-by-player beginning next season.

Michaels has waited to agree to the contract with Amazon to see whether ESPN or Fox would become options.

ESPN would have tried to team Michaels with Aikman if Fox declined to let Buck out of his contract. After Buck left, Michaels and his representatives reached out to Fox to see whether it would want him, according to sources, but Fox, with two of the next three Super Bowls, has been inclined to go with Kevin Burkhardt.

No new deal is yet signed with Burkhardt, but there is a growing expectation that he will be its No. 1 NFL game-caller. His current partner, Greg Olsen, is a leading candidate to be the network’s top analyst.

Michaels did not do all the games at NBC in recent years; as Tirico, his backup, had the opportunity to do a few games per year written into his contract. Tirico will be teaming with Cris Collinsworth as the now-permanent play-by-player for “SNF.”

Amazon became the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football” in the NFL’s most recent TV contracts. The 11-year agreement is for more than a billion dollars per year.

Amazon has already brought over NBC’s “SNF” producer, Fred Gaudelli, to lead its Thursday night telecasts. Gaudelli has produced seven Super Bowls.

In devising its booth, Amazon has strove to have credibility with its audience, which is why it has targeted Michaels since June. The Herbstreit deal came together much later, after Amazon pursued Aikman, Sean McVay and John Lynch, among others. Michaels had wanted Aikman or McVay.

When Amazon found out Herbstreit’s ESPN contract allowed him to work the NFL for another entity, it jumped at the chance, thinking he would be the right partner for Michaels. The streaming service will also have yet to be determined alternate feeds.