DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns News Continued....

https://www.totalprosports.com/nfl/...tXmYS6OxN1BL3qB3az6Zp-YxvEg9PnIrHauODTZo

REPORT: Browns QB Deshaun Watson Could Be Facing Additional Punishment From The NFL
19 hours ago
by Darrelle Lincoln

Deshaun Watson famously had to fend off lawsuits filed by 22 women who allege that Watson sexually assaulted them during private massage sessions when he was the quarterback of the Houston Texans.

Watson’s representatives offered each woman $100,000 to settle but not all of the women agreed. Watson settled 23 of 26 sexual misconduct lawsuits.


Just when you thought things were over, more information came out this week.

Watson may be forced to add something to his offseason schedule as the lawyer for the plaintiff in a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Watson petitioned the court on Feb. 6 to force the Browns quarterback to give an in-person deposition by Aug. 1.


The plaintiff’s attorney has highlighted that the original deposition was cut short due to instructions from Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, not to answer certain questions about other cases filed against him.

According to court documents, the plaintiff seeks to compel Watson’s re-deposition to ensure proper discovery and obtain crucial answers.

"Plaintiff seeks an order from this Court compelling the re-deposition of Defendant Watson in order to propound allowable discovery and have such answers produced,” stated lawyer David Bickham in the court filing.

Watson has remained steadfast in denying all allegations against him.

Two Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson on criminal charges. Despite that, he served an 11-game suspension and paid a $5 million fine for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy.

In six starts for Cleveland after the suspension, he threw for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.

In six games played during the 2023 season, Watson amassed 1,115 passing yards and seven touchdowns. Watson’s season ended early as he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a broken bone in his throwing shoulder.

I knew these other three cases were still open. Hadn't seen an update of their status in some time. I thought maybe he had found a way to hide them and just make them go away. I guess not.

Nice link Steve

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Why are you posting old news in the Browns news thread?

Are you trying to pretend what steve posted isn't news? It seems like people always want to throw shade on things they don't want to hear. Or they pretend 26 women are liars. It's been a popular theme. I for one won't forget these women and what they went through.

LMAO That dude is a spammer not a writer. He has posted 17 articles in 24 hours just on that one web site alone.

So watson isn't still facing additional sexual assault lawsuits? It seems as though what he posted is pretty accurate.....

Deshaun Watson might have to testify again in massage case

One of the remaining plaintiffs wants the Cleveland Browns quarterback to testify again in a deposition before Aug. 1.

Nearly three years since the first lawsuits against him were filed by multiple women, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson might have to testify again in one of the remaining cases that accuses him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.

An attorney for a woman who sued him in October 2022 recently asked a court in Harris County, Texas, to compel Watson to testify in another in-person deposition before Aug. 1.

Watson last appeared in a deposition in the case in Houston on June 9. But a new court filing states the woman’s attorney ended it after two hours, 14 minutes, because Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, improperly instructed Watson not to answer certain questions about other cases, such as whether he had been sexually aroused during massage sessions in the past.

"Plaintiff seeks an order from this Court compelling the re-deposition of Defendant Watson in order to propound allowable discovery and have such answers produced," said the court filing submitted by David Bickham, one of the woman’s attorneys.

Deshaun Watson's remaining lawsuits

The plaintiff in this case was the last of 26 women to sue Watson in Harris County civil court and accuse him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions when Watson was playing for the Houston Texans. Hardin said Watson sometimes had consensual sexual encounters during massage sessions but denied wrongdoing. Watson then reached confidential settlements to resolve 23 of the 26 lawsuits. Of the three others, one was withdrawn by the plaintiff shortly after being filed in March 2021, and two more remain pending – this one and another one filed in March 2021 that has no apparent trial date set.

The allegations upended Watson’s NFL career, but he was never arrested or charged with a crime. He didn’t play in the 2021 season, then was traded to the Cleveland Browns in March 2022. After the NFL investigated him, he was suspended for 11 games under a settlement reached between the league and the NFL Players Association.

Deshaun Watson's previous deposition

In this case, Hardin has aggressively denied the woman's allegations that Watson pressured her into oral sex at The Houstonian hotel in December 2020. In Watson's deposition in June, Hardin blasted one of the woman’s attorneys, Anissah Nguyen, during their dispute about her questions to Watson, according to a partial transcript filed in court last week. Hardin appeared to reference how this lawsuit was the only one that was filed after Watson settled the other cases in 2022.

"Not only is your lawsuit irrational and has no value at all, but we are not going to be trying other incidents in other cases," Hardin said to Nguyen, according to the transcript. "There's no secret in the world that he was sued by multiple women and settled multiple lawsuits.· But we are not going to try those cases again, and we're not going to be answering questions about those other cases, all of which are the subject of Confidentiality Agreements.

"You − you jumped in at the last minute," Hardin continued. "The evidence is going to show and has shown already with the filings just what a bogus lawsuit this is.· And you can't just file a lawsuit against a man that has some money and then get to go into any and everything.· Not going to happen. If you want to take it to the Court, you can do so, but he is not going to answer about other incidents.· You ask a man to come in here and ask did he ever get an erection during a massage, we're not answering those kind of questions.· We will answer anything you want about (the plaintiff in the case) and her − and his encounter with her."

It's up to a judge to decide whether Watson must testify again. The woman’s attorney wants Watson to provide his availability for a deposition on or before May 1.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...on-lawsuit-cleveland-browns/72606519007/

People seem to try way too hard to try and discredit anything said about him.

The Browns have certainly had their share of good news and rightfully so. They earned every bit of it. Healing is a positive thing. But one has to first address and deal with the wounds that have been inflicted before the healing can begin. I have certainly enjoyed, supported and celebrated all the good news the Browns have earned. This past season with all of the injuries was a borderline miracle.


Maybe that's the point you and others are making and I can't say that I don't understand it. When all a poster can do is focus on everything negative and never seems to give any attention to all of the positive things it does tend to show a very one sided take on everything and not in a good way. So I get it.

j/c:

Sorry...l'm late to this. Additional lawsuits to the original ones? Even the remaining ones we knew about not yet settled?

As Fate had posted, you haven't heard from me in 10 - 15 days. Sorry that I can't always keep up with all the news, but cancer treatments sometimes set you back a few days. Of course, I'm as thrilled as anyone else for the recognition the Browns received at the NFL awards. It was well deserved prestigious awards by all. Hopefully, the team will be able to take the next step. Just because your ideas on what that is differs from mine, that doesn't make me a hater any more than you are a hater.

The Watson story is news whether you like it or not. What this will mean to his availability might be an issue. Hmmmmm, that's news for a Browns fan. When I raised hell about giving Wills his 5th year option you called me a hater but now a year later you are even suggesting the Browns trade him. Funny really, you're just a day late and a dollar short to the observation deck. I've been labeled a hater by some of you because I was not a fan of the Moore trade. Ten months later, there's no less than 10-15 posts about what a disappointment Moore was this season.

It's ok though, take your shots as you see fit. In the meantime, (when feeling up to it), I'll post what I think is important news or opinion whether you like it or not. Congratulations to Stefanski, Flacco, Garrett and Schwartz on their well-deserved recognition.

Not me bro. What I try to discredit and always have around here is when folks use a link to some spammer who posts 20 articles a day on everything from the Browns to how to dissect a cat with a rusty butter knife. I don't have a problem with legit links like the one you posted.

Interesting read. I had read before how the WV situation was "glue" for the team and he certainly felt that way. I think there were a lot of times in 2023 that this team could have quit, but they hung in there. There had to be some very strong leadership coming from somewhere.

And that's kind of how I approach things like this. I guess I could first just attack the information posted as some seem to do or I could simply see if there are other sources to support what was posted. I think anyone who has followed this knew there were outstanding lawsuits out there still to be settled so that was at least some basis in fact. It took me all of about 30 seconds to find a much more legitimate source to back up at least most of the things in the original link.

I wish this entire thing was done and over with. I wish all of the facts were on the table and that it was in the rear view mirror. But I knew it would be a lingering issue. I knew it would be a shadow cast over this team for years to come when he was signed. And I still don't like any of it one bit.

Maybe the link some deem as questionable might have been a poor choice but none the less, it proved out that it was an accurate report on the situation. I, like you, wonder why some are so quick to attack without verifying the information first. If the information that I posted was wrong and coud be proven, then so be it. If it was accurate then just admit it and move on instead of just attacking the messenger. Thanks for researching it further but as you said, this was never over no matter how much people wanted it to be and will continue to be a lingering issue casting a shadow over this team for years to come. I certainly don't like it either and like it or not, it's a drag on this franchise.

Over my 25 years or so on first Dawg Talk and now Dawg Talkers I've seen a pattern which can not be denied. Some people tend to lean towards the negative while some lean heavily towards the positive. Sometimes to the point that it's obvious they're doing nothing more than putting lipstick on a pig. Believe me, I've seen the Browns having a terrible season several times and to read certain posters you would think they had won every game and destined to be in the SB. It's as if they had no sense of reality. And it got quite frustrating to see.

By contrast this season turned out to be pretty much miraculous. Making the playoffs while having five starting QB's and such a laundry list of injuries is an amazing feat by any realistic persons standard. And by the same measurement as I used above, we had certain posters that seemed to undermine and try to diminish those accomplishments throughout it all. I can see how people would be just as frustrated by that as people are by the putting lipstick on a pig crowd when this team was doing lousy.

In both cases people just get tired of hearing it over and over again from the exact same people. And I know not everyone sees things the same way. There will certainly be varying views on the same topic at times. I tend not to bend over backwards in order to take shots at the Browns nor make cheap excuses for them. I've never liked the watson deal from the beginning and have made no attempt to disguise that.

But I try very hard to distinguish the difference between watson the man and watson the player. No matter my feelings about watson the man I can look at his performance on the field and give him credit when he plays well.

Now most of everything in this post up until now is strictly my opinion based on my observations over these many years. Nothing more.

But what I can say for certain is that since the Browns return in 1999 there haven't been many seasons that Browns fans have had legitimate reasons to celebrate a season. Not many seasons for a lot of hope they can even make the playoffs by week 13 or 14. It's been a very rough ride. And when a season like this past one comes along they want to enjoy the ride. I think that's reasonable. And people certainly have every right to post in whatever manner they choose. But I can certainly understand how frustrated it makes them when even at a time when things are going well, you have people that can never seem to enjoy it, look on the bright side and are a constant source for everything negative they can find and dig up.

I'm hoping you can see how and why they would find that frustrating too.

I reserve the right to give my side at a later date. There's no sense in getting into a back and forth at this time. The new year starts in a few weeks, we can discuss those changes as they occur. I've been wrong on a few things this year but right on many more. I'm fine with admitting those facts. Some here are certainly not. Our goal is the same though, our team getting to the Super Bowl. How we differ on those thoughts of how to get there doesn't make either one of us a negative person - just two loyal fans with differing thoughts on how to achieve the ultimate goal. I have no issue with differing opinions and conversing those thoughts but when people become ugly about it, I draw the line. News is news, good or bad, and we have to accept it as that. Thanks for the candid response. It's greatly appreciated.

Watson, the gift that keeps giving. Smh. At least it’s not NEW trouble.

I'm not a lawyer, but it seems like they want to re-deposition Watson based on him NOT answering questions about other cases. They had questions that went unanswered and they want to drag him back to Houston to get those questions answered.

To me (still not a lawyer) this sounds kinda weak. Between how public all of this has been, and that all of these cases have been handled individually, why would they have a right to drag him back to Houston to answer questions about cases that aren't their own?

Salary cap is poised to be as much as $243 million per team — and maybe higher

As the new league year creeps closer and closer, all teams are bracing for final word as to the team-by-team cap limit for 2024.

The process isn’t as easy as it seems. Every year, the league and the NFL Players Association negotiate the number, with various factors coming into play. In the past, it has been higher than perhaps it should have been; the year after the lockout, for example, it was believed that the league agreed to ensure that the cap would not fall in comparison to 2011, in order to avoid a mutiny within the union.

Currently, there’s a thought that the league wants to avoid a massive spike in the cap, opting instead for a “smoothing” of the cap limit as TV deals and gambling money increase and the losses from the pandemic slip from the books.

For now, multiple sources have indicated that the teams expect the 2024 cap to be in the neighborhood of $242 million and $243 million. Another source, in response to that number, had this reaction: “More.”

Whatever it is, it’s a far cry from the initial cap, back in 1994, of $34.6 million.

The final number will likely emerge next week, after final negotiations at the Scouting Combine. Whatever the figure, keep that amount in mind when reacting to the contracts players will receive (and that they deserve). Also remember that, generally speaking, the $243 million or so per team that will go to the players is matched by $245 million or so per team that goes to the owners.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...as-243-million-per-team-and-maybe-higher

The reason they want the deposition is because these current cases were never addressed in the first deposition. It's not so much a "re-deposition" as it is a deposition continuation that actually addresses the cases not covered in the first deposition. He has never been deposed about the current cases to begin with.

I wasn't trying to get into a back and forth. Just trying to get you to understand why people get frustrated by the way others post. Believe me, if anyone knows about that it's me.

When things are going terrible people get upset about the positive spin certain posters put on it when a positive side of it simply doesn't exist. Thus my lipstick on a pig reference. Then when things are going well people get frustrated by people who consistently put a negative spin on things. It's a two way street. I think that is a pretty fair assessment of what goes on in here and it really isn't placing the blame on either side.

Sorry if it came off differently than that.

One person's take.....

This certainly not a cap savings move since the cap savings in 2024 will only be 1.2M with dead money of 1.867M with the remaining dead money of 5.573M spread out over the next couple of years. Smith had an 83.1 PFF Grade and was rated #16 for edge defenders. Any insight into this move? Okoronkwo was graded 65.4 and ranked 60th while Wright graded at 55.6 and ranked 90th so it isn't because he was outperformed. Just wondering.........

PSA:

That's usually exactly what you hear before someone is cut. Or "The HC is safe" is another one you hear right before they fire the coach. I do think he will stay if they can reach a new agreementg before the season starts. But I certainly don't think he will be here if the current numbers stay the same.

I wouldn't cut him, but I might trade him for a 5th this year and some conditional pick next year. Maybe as high as a 3rd.

We are going to have to shed some money somewhere.

Good point. Yeah, he certainly won't be here at his current salary and as much as people have complained that the cap isn't an issue, at some point the bills come due.

Sorry to all the "Cap Hell" warriors out there.

j/c

I don't understand why the discussion around the salary cap seems to be such a hot-button topic. The salary cap is real...it can become a problem...it CAN be managed...especially when you have a deep-pockets owner who is willing to pay out crazy sums of actual cash.

Both sides of the argument are correct (IMO) in their stance(s). :shrugs:

The one thing about the cap that is hardest to figure out - while managing it - is that you MUST draft 'well' when playing the spending game. You have GOT to be able to find less-expensive guys to make up for the very-expensive guys. Mess that up and no amount of owner-spending can make up for it. JMO