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So say the suspension ends at six weeks. Is Watson allowed to practice if it's less than a year? If not, how many weeks of practice do you give him before putting him back on the field? I feel that if he can not practice, he will need at least a couple of weeks to be dropping those dimes in games.

It will probably be more than 6 games, but for the purpose of providing an example.......here is how I believe it works.

Watson could practice and play throughout the preseason.

Watson would be away from the team's facilities through the first 3 weeks. He would be eligible to return to the facility and practice after week 3. He would be able to practice for weeks 4-6 and start game 7.

The suspended player can return to the team to practice and use the facilities after the halfway point of the suspension. So say it is 10 games. Watson would be available during preseason. He would be away from the team through week 5. He could return to the facilities after week 5 and play in game 11.

To add to that:

If it’s an indefinite suspension Watson is gone and can’t come back until the league tells him he can come back. No more preseason or practice reps. No early return to knock the rust off.

Yes.

And not to hijack the thread, but I think it might be noteworthy that the NFL didn't announce the decision by Harvey on Thursday or Friday and that Watson issued an apology of sorts. That makes me think that a settlement might be forthcoming. I could be wrong, but it makes some sense.

Frankly, I just want closure because I'm sick of reading, hearing, and talking about it. It will be nice to get back to talking about football.

One of the benefits of having a set suspension is the fact that he can come back and practice halfway through. At this point just set the 8 or 10 games or whatever and let us focus on getting Brissett ready

Poor Sue Robinson, undermined by the league that brought her in for her judicial experience.

I agree. Even if Watson's suspension stays at 6 games. Once Watsons comes back, he doesn't have to be inserted as the starter for a few games. It might not be ideal, but a QB rotation of sorts could be used.

I think Watson starts right away if it stays at 6 games. Remember, he would return to practice after week 3 and that would give him weeks 4-6 to get reps in practice.

Robinson was jointly hired by the league and the NFLPA. No one was undermined. The appeal was always a possibility and it seems like the judge wanted her ruling to be appealed based on her findings.

There is an issue with Watson practicing during the suspension, time is limited and each week the practices are geared toward the upcoming opponent. Will the Browns really want to sacrifice reps to the starter over a 3, 4, 5, 6 or longer week period which would clearly have an effect on winning or losing? The biggest complaint that shows up when the backup is forced into action is the lack of reps with the 1st team due to game planning. Would it be in the Browns best interest to split reps for something that won't occur most likely for a month or more. If the Browns do this, it would basically be cashing in on the season because the ultimate loser would be Brissett or whomever the starter might be. How much negative feedback, not to mention team attitude, would rear its ugly head if the Browns are losing while the starter is splitting valuable reps with a player that cannot even play?

Likewise, what do the Browns do if they are winning with Brissett? If the Browns are let's say 7-3 or 9-4, do they bench the QB that got them to that level for a player that hasn't played a real snap in over 500 days? I get that Watson is a better player, but would he really be the better guy after sitting for so long and the backup doing his job at a top level? There's a lot more that is going to rear its ugly head as the weeks go on and on. What those issues are going to be, no one knows for sure but going card blanche with an attitude as to what is going to happen with Watson is premature at best. Just my opinion.

If Watson can play, he starts.

" Frankly I just want closure" ?

Frankly I'm trying to reside my beliefs that the Browns future lies probably in the performances of Josh Dobbs, and whomever comes out of college in.. 4 years?
I think there will probably be a settlement that gives the Browns their contract back, but not their draft picks.
Deshaun- will probably never play in the NFL again
Dobbs- will proabably overtake Jacoby for the starter position,
and the Browns will be right back in uarterback jersey names list-ville.
Who knows, just a guess.

After Friday night, is that referring to his eligibility or his performance?

Jeremy Fowler was on Get Up and he said that the Browns plan on starting Watson in week 7 if the 6-game suspension stands because they would have 3 weeks to get him ready. I don't think the Browns really care about fans on a message board who will rear their ugly heads no matter what the Browns and/or Watson do. LOL

100%

It means some people can think rationally without being a homer on a board full of homers.

It's what is known as the contractually agreed upon process.

In theory. I would hope we would still be trying to win the games while he is getting reps.

If Brissett is playing poorly, Watson starts out of the gate. If the Browns are winning and Brissett is playing well, I am not so sure Watson starts right away.

I was thinking about that.

What if the Browns are 6-0, averaging 42 points/game, and Brissett has an average 120 QBR?
Unlikely? Yes
Impossible? no

If this is the case, how do you replace Brissett?

Impossible? Yes.

Trade him for a #2 and 3 and pay half his salary!!!!!!!

It's going to be a rough season. Everyone should strap up for that reality.

This is where I am at and my enthusiasm for this point of the off-season is at an all time low. Defense might be good enough to squeak into the playoffs despite all the challenges. But we need a good deal of luck and health.

Do you think the record will be worse than last year?

Joel Bitonio wonders whether JC Tretter is being blackballed for his stance on player safety

Posted by Mike Florio on August 14, 2022, 1:16 PM EDT
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Colin Kaepernick may have some company.

Free-agent center JC Tretter, who also happens to be the NFL Players Association’s president, remains available, in the middle of August. Former Browns teammate Joel Bitonio suggests that Tretter’s role as a vocal advocate for player safety could be contributing to his ongoing unemployment.

“When you have a guy that’s top-five, top-10 at center in the league and he’s not on a roster, you know, and he’s the NFLPA president and maybe some of the owners don’t appreciate what he brings to the table on certain topics when he’s trying to protect player safety and things of that nature, it seems a little suspicious to me,” Bitonio said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “But, again, I don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. I don’t know what his conversations have been with teams and stuff, but just from an outside perspective usually players that are close to the top of their game get picked up. Teams want to win in this league. So it’s an interesting topic, for sure.”

Teams want to win in this league. That was the excuse the Commissioner repeatedly gave for teams not signing Kaepernick. Teams want to win, so they would never fail to pursue a player who can help them win. (Unless they’re tanking, of course.)

The Browns cut Tretter earlier this year, saving more than $8.235 million in cap space. The Browns also lost center Nick Harris for the season on Friday night. The Bucs previously lost center Ryan Jensen, possibly for the year. There has been no serious suggestion that either team will sign Tretter.

None of this has stopped Tretter from doing his job for the NFL’s players. On Saturday, Tretter sounded off on the condition of the playing surface at Soldier Field.

A fourth-round pick in 2013, Tretter spent four years with the Packers and five with the Browns. He ranked 89th on the Pro Football Focus list of the top 101 players of 2021.

Would it be crazy to think that owners are shying away from Tretter because he has become an agitator to the oligarchs? Nope. That’s another reason why high-profile (and highly-compensated) quarterbacks should be more involved in union leadership. They’re far less likely to be blackballed, and they’re far more likely to take command of the rank and file if/when a line must be drawn in the sand — even if it means a work stoppage.

For now, it makes sense to pay attention to what happens with Tretter. If the goal is to keep him out of the league because he helps run the union, ignoring it makes it easier for the owners to pull it off.

I have brought this up multiple times on this board. The guy's PFF numbers are outstanding. Unless he wants to not have to deal w/TC like cfrs suggested, I think it's entirely possible that the NFL blackballing him. That's not stated as a fact, but it is worth contemplating.

I know one thing............the NFL doesn't care about player safety, women, or anything else that doesn't make them money. If they can use it to make money, they will. But, it's not because they really care about people.

We're going to find out how much they acre about women here very soon.

Where and how dd you make up that stupid BS?

I disagree. I think he is referencing the entire league. Teams make roster moves based on salary and age all the time. However, it seems odd that no one has picked Tretter up.

I had to quote that. This was great.

The Browns did put winning first by trading for Watson, and you have not been on board with that move.

The Steelers put winning first by standing by Pig Pen, and you appear to give them an atta boy for that.

This is what happens when you mix moral high ground with fanaticism. You often paint yourself into a corner with a bunch of double talk.

I'm being just as tough on watson than I was ben. Sadly many people don't realize the world has changed and while it has been far too late, people are actually taking the sexual abuse of women far more seriously now and understand it has not been dealt with near harshly enough with in the past. I thought that ben wasn't punished nearly enough back then. I feel exactly the same about the 6 games of watson as it stands now.

rish...sweeping your manure to the side...the bottom line is, will the Harvard Boys and their fearless leader do what is best for the Browns to "WIN NOW" and fix the situation facing them by signing Tretter...or will they push "winning now" down their list preferring to "blackball Tretter" and go with a career backup at center while kicking Tretter to the curb because he is a "UNION REP"...

Rish..what say you..? WINNING FIRST ? or NFL anti-union politics the first priority of Haslam and his Harvard Boys.

vers..and look at you, trying to play both sides...lol...

I’ll jump in here .. if Watson doesn’t play I can’t see us getting to 7 wins. AFC and our division is tough

Dodgeball must be your favorite movie ...Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.

To answer your question, my guess would be "no, they won't". This isn't the Rams' front office. These guys are playing the long game. They would rather lose short-term for long-term stability and getting ten, fifteen, twenty cracks at a super bowl than one. I don't think I agree with that philosophy for a reason I stated earlier...I believe the odds of going all in and winning one super bowl over twenty years is greater than winning more than one by playing the long game, IMO. Although both have their merits and risks. The Rams were a dropped interception away from not making it into to the Super Bowl last year so it could have all blown up.

Me personally, I would go all in for this year if I were the FO. That means Jimmy G and Tretter.

I think the Browns can make the playoffs with average QB play if the following two things happen -

1. Defense becomes top 5 and the Browns are winning on the backs of their defense.
2. Stefanski really shines as a coach... team is prepared and appears to over perform and out coach the other side.

Absent those two things I think the record will be about the same as last year, but ultimately, I just don't think we make the playoffs.

If I were putting money on it, I don't think there will be many fun Sundays.