DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Hopkins

Asked Wednesday at minicamp for an update on where things stand with Hopkins and the Browns, Watson said “really, I have no idea. That’s more of an (Andrew Berry or Kevin Stefanski) question. But for me, I have no idea where that stands. But like I said last week, of course we would love to have him and we’ll see how things go.”

Sounds like he's making demands again!!

It sounds like yo take every PR statement made to the press as gospel.

How are they completely different? Actually this situation would be far less extreme than what he has actually done before. Before he actually signed a contract and walked away from it less than six months later abandoning not only his legal, contractual agreement, but also abandoning his team mates.

In this case we are only talking about the possibility that he is lobbying for a WR who he has a history of being very successful with being signed by the Browns. Nobody claimed he was throwing a fit over it, made any threats about it or anything remotely close to what he did to his fellow players in Texas.

So can you tell me what seems so outlandish about him wanting the Browns to sign Hopkins which was the most successful WR he has ever played with?

I guess that depends on what you call making waves. Do you consider strongly lobbying for the Browns to team him back up with the WR he has had the most success with his entire career as "making waves"? I mean the Browns signed a FA WR who cussed out his previous coach. Watson walked away from his previous contract. In the grand scheme of things, are you calling watson the possibility of watson pressuring the Browns to sign Hopkins as "making waves"? To me IF he is pressuring the Browns in any way he's doing his best NOT to make waves about it. Making waves would be if he took it to the press or made sure he was overheard by the press and it became public. If he is keeping it quiet he is making his feelings known and keeping those feelings in house. How is that making waves?

You mean that's what he said in a public statement to the press? Try reading my post again. I'm saying that IF he is pressuring the Browns to sign Hopkins, he's keeping in behind closed doors and not taking it to the press. Which would be the opposite of your implication about "making waves".

So are you saying that players and the FO air what's actually going on behind the scenes? That business and personnel discussions between the players and FO are reported all the time? Come on man.

Nobody is actually saying that's what's happening. But on the other hand for anyone willing to have an open mind about it, it does make sense that watson would be trying to get the FO to sign Hopkins.

Now a visit to NE is added to the list.

He and his agent know he is a valuable commodity, so they are going to shop to raise the price.

My hope is we don't buy. I think you get to a point where it is subtraction by addition.

https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/browns-maven-features/dhop-dpj-inside-the-numbers

Interesting article discussing comparing DPJ to where Hopkins is now, not peak Hopkins.

basically, everything I have been saying.

j/c

I'm late to the party here, but IMO just let Hopkins sign with the Titans or Pats or whatever. I'm not concerned about our WR room enough to make that commitment. I'm more concerned about our QB and front 7

Rather sign another C/G on offense.

Good to know. Not sure I want to take that to the bank if it won't happen. Raises an immediate question with me: Am I / Are we being told that if there IS a camp injury, then we are locked in on signing Hopkins? Does Cabot state what that injury would be, as in how severe and to whom, to bring him to the Browns? And can I take that scenario to the bank? Hate to go empty-handed.

I don't think you can take anything to the bank until Hopkins is signed to a team no matter which team that is.

If DW ever sat out an entire season I'd like you to prove it.
otherwise admit it is False. Because I think over a year ago,
I found that notion false when looking for links.

He didn't sit out...
the TEAM sat him down,
there is a difference.

DW wanted to play but, the TExans team said noway buddy we'll have "that loser other guy" be our @uarterback, because at the time DW had a scandal of getting massages.

You portray it like DW chose not to play, He didn't chose b/c he didn't have a choice.
You make it sound like Deshaun Watson did something to spite his team by refusing to play,
but in reality He COULDN'T PLAY BECAUsE THE TEAM WOULDN'T LET HIM.

Report: Deshaun Watson met with David Culley, refuses to play for Texans

New Houston head coach David Culley got the word directly from the source: Deshaun Watson has no intention of playing for the Texans ever again.

Watson met with Culley on Friday and told him he wants to be traded, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports.

Although Watson hasn’t made that declaration publicly, it’s been clear for weeks that that is Watson’s stance. He does not want to play for the Texans and is angling for a trade.

Texans owner Cal McNair has insisted that Watson will remain a Texan, but at some point someone has to blink. The Texans could get an enormous haul of players and draft picks if they were willing to trade Watson, and with each new report that Watson remains dug in, the chances increase that the team will eventually relent and give Watson the trade he wants.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...-david-culley-refuses-to-play-for-texans

Try to keep up next time.

and if you'll continue and look, you'll find that even though he was asking for a trade, that about a month passed and the scandal broke,
and because of the scandal the team made him sit.
It never got to the point where DW refused to play, b/c he wasn't allowed to play.

Where did the texans say he couldn't play because of "the scandal"?

.https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/09/12/deshaun-watson-texans-not-planning-to-play
The texans did not play him ^ they played tyrod taylor and then davis mills
september 202I
https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/09/12/deshaun-watson-texans-not-planning-to-play

Nowhere in your link does it state that the texans will not play watson due to the accusations. In fact it states that the NFL had no restrictions on him playing.

and I'm not stating that the NFL, like goodell and the rule committee, were the ones that kept Watson from playing,
I'm saying, Watson did not sit out, he may have even wanted to, may have even threatened to, but
when the time came,
It was NOT the NFL and Roger Goodell that made Watson not play, 3rd option not even in play here
and
It was NOT Watson sitting out and refusing to play for his teammates, that did not happen, even in spite of if he had asked for a trade, that did not happen,
what happened was, when the time came
the Texans team, the Texans, and not the nfl and not Watson himself, but the Texans team
chose to play Davis Mills in their games and paid Watson to stay at home.

so we can't blame Watson for running out on or turning his back on his teammates by sitting out when he didn't even sit out, he was sat down, sat down by the team, the Texans team.

You have zero evidence that the "texans chose not to play him". Not even the link you provided to try and prove your point states that. And even without any evidence you have yourself convinced.

Your contention would claim the texans chose to sit him out while paying him 10.5 million dollars while the NFL made no demands to do so. No, YOU can't blame watson because you have chosen not to do so.

Not to mention the fact that Watson himself told Culley that he would never play for the Texans again in their meeting. That does not sound like the Texans benched him - more like Watson benched himself. Besides, everything else aside, would you play a player that has outright refused to play due to wanting to be traded anyway, especially a 1st year HC?

Read this one from October of 202I,
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/deshaun-watson-2021-nfl-status/uv93taeyg3t11fljo00iwfs0s

From your link............


It goes on to speak about the commissioners exempt list which never happened. Even after watson was traded to the Browns.

Thanks again.

Deshaun Watson is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL when he's on the field. He hasn't yet been in 2021.

Watson hasn't played for the Texans so far after a tumultuous offseason that saw him demand a trade away from Houston before being accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct in 22 active civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints.

That said, Watson isn't suspended and remains on the Texans' 53-man roster. He has been rendered a healthy scratch each week and has often worked out on his own at practice.

It seems like Houston has no plans to play Watson. However, could Watson see action if he's traded? That's a question that teams across the NFL will be asking as the Texans continue to dangle Watson before the NFL trade deadline.

Here's everything we know about Watson's status and whether he'll play during the 2021 NFL season or not.

MORE: What to know about the sexual assault lawsuits against Deshaun Watson

Can Deshaun Watson play in 2021?

Watson is technically eligible to play in 2021 as of this writing. The NFL has yet to suspend him and if the Texans so chose, they could insert him into the starting lineup. They just haven't taken that approach as they try to trade him while navigating the accusations levied against him.

That said, any team that trades for Watson will be able to play him if they so desire. It doesn't seem likely the NFL will suspend him yet; they are waiting for Watson's criminal proceedings to wrap up before launching their own inquiry, as Watson's layer Rusty Hardin explained in August.

"The NFL regularly tries to not reach out to the defendant and his lawyers and seek evidence from them until the criminal investigation is over," Hardin said. "Historically, they want to make sure they don�t interfere with the criminal investigation. When the criminal investigation is over, then they will do their own separate finishing up. � I have had no contact with the NFL, except to call initially and say, 'Whenever the time is appropriate, we will fully cooperate. You let us know.' And that�s going to be the case."

It could be a while before that investigation finishes, so the NFL seems unlikely to suspend Watson. However, there is another tool that the league could use to effectively suspend Watson if they so desired: the commissioner's exempt list.

MORE: Where Deshaun Watson ranks among NFL's highest-paid players for 2021

What is the commissioner's exempt list?

The commissioner's exempt list is a tool that the NFL has used in the past to ensure players aren't able to play amid ongoing criminal investigations. Its use became more common in 2014, when Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy were all placed

Again, Watson told Culley that he would never play another game as a Texan. The reason the Texans kept Watson on the roster and healthy scratched him each week is due to the fact that if he wasn't playing, his contract would roll because he wasn't rostered enough games. A player has earned an accrued season if they have recorded at least six regular-season games on a team's roster on full play status. After a player's contract ends, a player's free agency status will be determined by the number of accrued seasons they have.

Because Watson refused to play, Houston could protect their asset by keeping him on the roster and healthy scratching him each week until their trade demands were met or if not met would still have Watson under contract for the full 4-year deal that he just signed in October because he was accruing no time while being a healthy scratch.

That was one of the huge drawbacks from Watson's 11-game suspension. Due to the fact he was on full play status the final 6-games, the 2022 season accrued for Watson and it cost the Browns the 46M and a year on his contract.

Pretty sure I read once where the Texans made him play safety in practice or walk through also. Too long ago to remember for sure.

You must not have watched him play last season. At one time you could say he was one of the best QB's on the field. But that's the thing about it. You are what you are until you're not. Last year he was not. Now he is what he was last year until he's not.

Deshaun Watson reportedly willing to never play for Houston Texans again

Deshaun Watson has huge issues with the Houston Texans organization and the problems don’t seem to be going away. Now, amid efforts by the front office and ownership to salvage the relationship, the Pro Bowl quarterback may be willing to take the ultimate step to force a trade.

Watson, who recently expressed his frustrations publicly, has been through years of drama with the Texans. From Bill O’Brien trading away the star quarterback’s friend and All-Pro receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, to baffling decisions made by owner Cal McNair and the team’s top decision-makers.

The Texans already faced major hurdles this offseason. Already operating without a first- or second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, due to O’Brien’s overpay for Laremy Tunsil, Houston also needed a general manager and head coach. While a GM is now in place, the latest turmoil surrounding Watson could prove costly to this franchise for years to come.

Deshaun Watson reportedly wants trade or change in ownership

While the NFL world knew Watson had issues with the Texans’ organization, the divide between the two sides and the severity of damage this relationship has taken wasn’t quite as known. That has changed this offseason, with more reports detailing Houston’s organizational problems and a system of dysfunction that has driven the face of the franchise away.

On Saturday, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter provided further spotlight on the turmoil going on in Texas. Specifically, just how angered Watson is by the Texans and how far he is willing to go to bring change to repair years of a losing culture in the building.

“But sources close to Watson say this is bigger than firing Jack Easterby, the front office executive whom McNair says he won’t fire,” Chris Mortensen reported on ESPN, (H/T 247 Sports). “He says — this source says — that unless Cal McNair can fire himself, Deshaun Watson is not about to change his mind that he does not want anything to do with the Texans going forward.”

Jack Easterby is a big problem for the Texans and he reportedly has been for some time. In December, Sports Illustrated’s Jenny Vrentas and Greg Bishop detailed how the former New England Patriots’ team pastor obtained power in Houston. He joined the organization in 2019, quickly cleaning house by firing general manager Brian Gaine McNair promoted Easterby to executive vice president of football operations in January 2020.

Since that time, he has played a major role in plenty of the moves made in Houston. He reportedly undermined fellow team executives, including Bill O’Brien, and was a huge advocate for the ridiculed trade that sent away DeAndre Hopkins. Easterby also left many in the organization feeling like they couldn’t trust him, with some fearing for their jobs and staffers believing players were being surveilled outside the facility.

When O’Brien was fired as head coach and general manager, Easterby took over the interim GM role. However, McNair made a point that he wouldn’t decide who took over the role in 2021 and the next hire could decide Easterby’s fate with the team. Instead, Easterby reportedly flew with McNair to meet with Nick Casero. Days later, to the surprise of Watson and a majority of the Texans’ organization, Caserio was hired as general manager and reunited with Easterby, a personal friend. Then, earlier this week, McNair announced Easterby will remain with the club.

Watson’s frustrations aren’t just with Easterby. Before the offseason began, McNair informed the franchise star that he would have input in the hiring process for the next head coach and general manager. Watson researched names, providing a list of candidates who he believed would help reshape the team’s culture and players would follow. McNair never looked into any of the recommendations, including Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, frustrating Watson.

While McNair and Caserio have publicly praised Watson since, making attempts to salvage the relationship, hope might be lost for the Texans. That is, unless McNair is no longer the owner. Given that’s unlikely to happen, Watson’s anger with the front office remains and his willingness to use his power could lead to him never suiting up again for Houston.

“He is one unhappy camper and has no plans to be with the Houston Texans anytime soon — if ever,” Adam Schefter said on ESPN.

It’s rare for any player, let alone a star, to be willing to sit out games. However, we’ve seen it before with another top quarterback. Carson Palmer threatened to retire in 2011 if the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t trade him. In October, after sticking to his word, Palmer was traded to the Raiders.

Sitting out multiple games, even the entire 2021 season, would cost Deshaun Watson millions of dollars. If he’s willing to do it, though, the 25-year-old has plenty in the bank to get by. Before long, the Texans might just have to accept their losses and grant his trade request.

https://sportsnaut.com/deshaun-watson-rumors-latest-trade/

I was not convinced that Watson was the guy to get. Based on what I saw last season, I'm still not convinced he's still got it.

But in fairness, he was away from the game for almost two seasons. there had to be rust.. Lots and Lots of rust.

So IMO, the right thing to do is watch him this year. I want the browns to win and win and win. So I'm all for him succeeding. I hope he does.

The sad thing is, even if he has lost it, we're stuck with him. Whos going to trade for him?

I don't disagree with you. I think we all hope he performs well on the field. My biggest concern was watching that last game. He threw two int's that weren't even close. The O only managed to put 14 points on the board. There were only a few people on this board trying to deny that rust would be a factor so I agree that most everyone expected he would look bad in the beginning. But I believe the hope would be that we would see some steady progress throughout those six games. And to at least some degree it began to look that way. And then that last game happened.

I certainly don't believe those six games is a fair judge of what he is on the field. However at the same time I don't believe you can just ignore them either.

No you can't ignore last year. One ever present thought I've harbored is that he knew he was going to play but still looked stale when he got his chance and he didn't seem to improve along the way either which by the way is the most troubling thing. Begs the question, what did he do for those 9 weeks before he was allowed to practice with the team?

Posters are making good points and everyone on this board is entitled to an opinion. I feel the DW we get this coming season will be better than Baker was for us and ever will be in this league. Once DW gets more reps with our receivers and in this O, I feel he will be very good for us. JMO

I agree.

He is/was a divisive player. Some on here said they were no longer Browns fans when we signed him, so those feelings linger. They aren't going away, maybe ever.

I suspect if we win they will backtrack on all of that. If not, well it just depends. For some, anything less that a Superbowl win won't be good enough, if even then.

We'll see.

From your lips to gods ear...Hope you are correct.