The Cleveland Browns traded a boatload of picks to the Houston Texans for embattled and disgraced quarterback Deshaun Watson. And while Watson has, at times, looked good for the Browns, he's not what he used to be. The combination of bad weather, poor coaching philosophizes, and the possibility that he's just not that invested in football anymore has seemingly reduced him to a Wish.com version of himself.
While his inconsistent play was a problem, having him on the field was still better than not. But it turns out that's not going to be the case anymore, as it was announced that Watson would have season-ending surgery on his shoulder. And while that's bad news for the Browns, it's great news for the Texans, who own the Browns first-round draft pick in 2024.
The Houston Texans don't have a pick of their own in the first round in 2024, and will have to rely on the Cleveland Browns pick that they got from the Watson trade. Without the trade, they wouldn't have a first-round pick in 2024, as the Arizona Cardinals own the Texans '24 pick.
With Watson done for the year, and the Browns having no real backup to speak of, the Browns are likely to fall far more often than they win. They don't have any backup worth their salt, and rumors are that Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Thompson-Robinson started the first game Watson missed, but then was repalced by P.J. Walker. Now the rookie Thompson-Robinson will have another shot.
But he'll be doing it against of the best defenses in the league and if the Browns don't make a big move soon, it's likely the Browns will fall apart down the stretch, giving the Texans a much higher draft picking the upcoming NFL Draft. The Browns are just 6-3, and have eight games to go. They have to deal with the Steelers, the surging Denver Broncos, the Los Angeles Rams, the AFC South leading Jacksonville Jaguars, the ever dangerous Chicago Bears, your own Houston Texans, the stellar defensive-minded New York Jets and the much-improved Cincinnati Bengals.
It's very likely that the Browns only win two more games, and if they finish 8-9, then the Texans can hope for a Top 16 draft pick in 2024.