The Cleveland Browns thought they had solved their decades-long starting quarterback problem in 2022 when they traded for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Little did they know that they were ending up on what is presently considered one of the worst trades in NFL history.
Watson’s tenure with the Browns has been disappointing. He made just 12 starts in his first two seasons while serving a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy and battling injuries and has been nothing more than a mediocre starter in those contests.
The Browns entered the 2024 season with an 8-4 record in Watson’s starts, but he completed just 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions in those contests. That gave him a passer rating of just 81.4 and a below-average QBR of 40.4.
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There’s still time for Watson to turn things around, and the Browns are likely married to him because of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract they gave him.
Still, if the Browns had an out, they’d probably take it. And if they could go back recoup the assets they surrendered in the Watson trade, they would almost certainly exercise that option as well.
Meanwhile, the Texans are still basking in the glow of the trade, which sent out a malcontent in a dispute with the team and added a treasure trove of assets to the organization’s coffers. Those picks have since become a group of potential-packed young players who are adding upside to a roster that has already improved markedly under Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans.
Deshaun Watson trade details
Browns get:
QB Deshaun Watson
2024 sixth-round pick (used in the Jerry Jeudy trade)
Texans get:
2022 first-round pick (OG Kenyon Green)
2022 fourth-round pick (RB Dameon Pierce)
2023 first-round pick (DE Will Anderson Jr.)
2023 third-round pick (WR Tank Dell)
2024 first-round pick (CB Kamari Lassiter and LB Jamal Hill)
2024 fourth-round pick (S Calen Bullock)
The Texans received six draft picks in exchange for Watson and managed to turn them into seven players.
Houston enjoyed immense buying power during the three years after the Watson trade. The Texans maneuvered around the draft board frequently because of this, so most of the picks were not made at the original spots Cleveland was expected to pick. And in some cases, the picks acquired by the Texans from the Browns were packaged with other draft capital to move up.
Nonetheless, the seven players acquired represent the best estimate of what the Texans got from the Browns for Watson. When evaluating the package, it’s clear that the Texans look like the early winner of the trade by a wide margin.
What did the Texans get for Deshaun Watson?
Below are the seven players the Texans acquired for Watson:
OG Kenyon Green
RB Dameon Pierce
DE Will Anderson Jr.
WR Tank Dell
CB Kamari Lassiter
LB Jamal Hill
S Calen Bullock
Not all of the acquisitions have panned out, but the Texans acquired at least a couple of key playmakers from the deal.
Green was the first piece of the Watson trade the Browns cashed in. They acquired him after trading down two spots with the Eagles in the 2022 NFL draft with the plans of making him a starting guard. Green hasn’t lived up to that billing yet – he graded last among 77 starting guards during his rookie season, per Pro Football Focus, before missing the 2023 season with an injury – but he entered the 2024 season as Houston’s starter at left guard.
Pierce looked like he was going to be a good starter for the Texans after he ran for 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries as a rookie. His yards per carry average slipped from 4.3 as a rookie to 2.9 in 2023 and lost his starting job to Devin Singletary, which prompted Houston to sign Joe Mixon during the 2024 offseason.
The Texans traded up to land Anderson with the third pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and that move paid dividends. The Alabama product notched seven sacks as a rookie and was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year for his efforts. That makes him Houston’s best defensive building block given his potential as a high-impact pass rusher.
Dell was another player for whom Houston traded up. The diminutive receiver had no issues acclimating to the NFL, posting 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games (eight starts) in 2023. He should continue to be one of C.J. Stroud’s favorite targets in a loaded receiving corps – provided that he can stay healthy.
Lassiter (second round) and Hill (sixth round) were acquired when the Texans traded out of the first round of the 2024 NFL draft while Bullock was selected in the third round of the event. All made Houston’s 53-man roster to start their careers and will be given a chance to establish themselves.
As it stands, the Texans would probably be pleased to have landed just Anderson and Dell as part of this trade. They look like bonafide stars who should be playmakers on each side of the ball. If one or more of the other Houston players turn into solid starters or role players, it will be a cherry on top for an already good-looking trade.
If not, the Texans will still be the clear-cut winners of this trade given Watson’s inability to stay on the field, his struggles quarterbacking the Browns and the exorbitant cost of his contract.