The decision of the Browns to announce the Deshaun Watson trade by releasing statements from ownership, G.M. Andrew Berry, and coach Kevin Stefanski has caused some to conclude that there won’t be a press conference, given the off-field issues still looming for Watson.
According to the Browns, a press conference will happen at some point. The timing, however, has not been confirmed.
It will be a delicate event, for all involved. Watson will face questions. Whoever is present for the team will face questions. Whoever is absent (if, for example, ownership isn’t there) could face scrutiny. It could go well. It could go poorly.
Many Browns fans have concerns about the trade, especially with 22 lawsuits still pending against Watson. It’s 22. Not one or two. Twenty-two.
The grand jury decision from 10 days ago sparked a land rush for Watson, one that obscured the pending legal problems, at least temporarily. The Browns consciously and deliberately balanced short-term pain against long-term gain. That shouldn’t absolve them from the short-term pain. If anything, it should enhance it.
They’re basically saying, “Go ahead. Take your shots. We’ll tolerate it because when we’re winning games you’ll forget about it.”
Of course, if they don’t win, people won’t forget. And if the off-field issue has unanticipated complications, people definitely won’t forgive.
The four teams that hotly pursued Watson assumed the reward will far outweigh the risk. Still, there’s a chance that the worst-case scenario ends up being worse than expected -- and that the best-case scenario never materializes.