12 July 2023 , 17:58
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The Cleveland Browns need to see huge improvements from Deshaun Watson after mortgaging the franchise's future to acquire the former Houston Texans quarterback, and there are promising signs that chemistry is building with a pivotal offensive weapon.
The Browns sent a huge haul including three first-round picks to the Texans to acquire the three-time Pro Bowl QB in March 2022 despite huge criticism and controversy surrounding the move due to 26 civil allegations of sexual misconduct during massages, 24 of which have been settled out of court.
Watson faced no criminal charges and denied any wrongdoing, but he was suspended for 11 games by the NFL and did not make his debut for the Browns until December. In six starts, the 27-year-old struggled, throwing seven touchdowns and five interceptions, with only 1,102 passing yards as the Browns went 3-3 and missed the playoffs.
With a lowly passer rating of 79 from his six appearances in a Browns jersey, Watson and the team know a much better performance is required in 2023 to justify the masses of draft capital and the fully-guaranteed $230million (£177m) five-year contract they handed out.
Developing a stronger connection with his receivers will be an essential part of that process and Watson has shared encouraging details of his growing relationship with former Dallas Cowboys star Amari Cooper.
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Cooper led the Browns in receiving in 2022 with 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns, although the majority of those were hauled in when Jacoby Brissett was the man throwing the passes.
Cooper, 29, is one of the leading lights on an offense that has the potential to be explosive in 2023 and Watson says his connection with his teammate is solidifying.
Deshaun Watson struggled when he returned to the field in 2022. (Matt Durisko/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“Amari’s going to be good,” Watson told Cleveland.com. “He’s a guy that’s a vet, been in the league for a while, so he knows exactly what he needs to do to be ready for the season and training camp and our chemistry is going to be tight.
"We’ve been hanging out. We’re just going to continue to build that chemistry as much as possible.”
Browns training camp is rapidly approaching, with Rookies reporting on July 19 before Watson, Cooper and the rest of the veterans on the roster are expected to arrive on July 21.
The Browns will spend a week at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia to kick off their preparations for the new season before returning to the team facility on August 1.
Cleveland will play the first of its pre-season games against the New York Jets on August 4, with games against the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in the following weeks, and head coach Kevin Stefanski will be desperate to see signs on and off the field that Watson is returning to the elite level he reached in Houston.