The biggest loser in the Deshaun Watson trade: Baker Mayfield
This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After the Browns went for Watson in an unconventional way, Mayfield was ready for his departure from Cleveland. Then he wasn’t, and then the trade actually happened. It was a whirlwind that now has Mayfield looking at Indianapolis or Seattle as his new home(s).
Mayfield also took the Browns from winless to into their first playoff berth and victory in ages, and when they laid the smackdown on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2020 wildcard, it was thought to be the new standard.
Unfortunately, Mayfield’s career has been inconsistent in terms of his performance and availability. We’ll see if they improve when he arrives at his next team.
The biggest winner in the Deshaun Watson trade: Nick Caserio
Nick Caserio took over one of the worst teams in the league last year, and after going through their first year with David Culley and getting rid of a handful of players from the previous regime. Caserio took a lot of heat for trying to get as much as he could for Watson when it looked like a trade wasn’t possible.
Getting three first-rounders is historic in compensation, and Caserio got Watson out of town and Cleveland to take a monstrous deal. What’s not to like? Caserio can only fail on this trade if the draft choices he makes end up being busts.
This is the situation Caserio wanted, and now he has it. It’s time to perform and start changing this franchise.