Browns' Deshaun Watson trade named fourth-worst this century in all of sports
The Cleveland Browns front office’s miscues have been well documented over the years. And now, someone's pouring salt on the wounds.
Even at a time when the team’s recently departed Chief Strategy Officer is seemingly taking shots at the head coach, and a former CEO is calling out the club’s current draft philosophy, there’s always a sense of aftershock when being reminded of some of the things that Browns’ fans have had to endure in the last years.
Bleacher Report published a piece listing this century’s 20 worst trades in sports, and of course the Browns appear near the top of the list. To be honest, it’s quite surprising they‘re not at number 1.
Bleacher Report has named the trade for Deshaun Watson as the fourth worst trade in sports this century, based mainly on what it cost to get him -- a package that included three first round draft picks and the largest totally guaranteed multiyear contract in the history of the NFL -- as well as the lowly returns from the deal.
Heck, even Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has conceded on at least two separate occasions that the trade was a mistake.
There is no worse NFL trade than Watson’s according to B/R, as the three deals that take up the top spots of the ranking are NBA trades, starting with Luka Dončić to the Lakers, followed by Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and picks, and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets.
The trade for Watson still haunts the Browns to this day, as they can’t get rid of him after just 19 starts in four years because the dead cap charge stemming from a potential release would be prohibitive.
Curiously, the Browns also appear in the ninth spot for another trade, but mercifully, they came out on the winning side of that disaster: the 2013 trade of running back Trent Richardson to the Colts, for which Indy paid Cleveland a first round 2014 NFL Draft pick.
Of course, what they ended up doing in that draft could’ve easily made the list, as they used Indy’s selection to trade up four spots for quarterback Johnny Manziel at 22, right after trading up for cornerback Justin Gilbert in the Top-10... certainly not one of Cleveland’s finest first rounds.
The other NFL trades enlisted by B/R include Russell Wilson being dealt from the Seahawks to the Broncos at eight, Randy Moss going from Oakland to New England at eleventh, Wes Welker going from Miami to New England at thirteenth, Micah Parsons being shipped from Dallas to Green Bay this year at sixteenth, and Tennessee dealing A.J. Brown to the Eagles.
Former Chiefs 6-Foot, 324-Pound 3rd Round Draft Pick All-Clear For Reunion
As the Kansas City Chiefs head into a make-or-break AFC West rivalry matchup against the division-leading Denver Broncos, they face a team severely weakened by injuries.
The Broncos have ruled out no fewer than five key players for Sunday’s nationally televised showdown, compared to just one — running back Isiah Pacheco — for the Chiefs.
The Friday injury report leaves the Chiefs with a golden opportunity to recover from their discouraging loss to the Buffalo Bills before the bye week, and get their 5-4 season back on track, restoring their chances for a 10th straight AFC West championship.
Bink Saunders Could Return to Chiefs
And also on Friday came news of a chance for the Chiefs to add a player in a long-awaited reunion, one they lost to a $12.3 million free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints jus two years ago.
That player would be defensive lineman Khalen “Bink” Saunders, the Chiefs’ third-round draft pick out of Western Illinois in 2019. After two years with the Saints, Saunders was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars this year for offensive lineman Luke Fortner, only to be immediately benched by Jaguars coach Liam Coen.
After getting into just two games for Jacksonville this season, seeing a mere 25 snaps in total, Saunders found himself released by the Jaguars on Thursday.
Defensive Tackle Goes Unclaimed on Waiver Wire
Because the NFL trade deadline is in the rear-view mirror, all released players including seven-year veterans such as Saunders, must first clear waivers before signing with another team. For Saunders, that happened on Friday.
With no waiver claims on the 6-foot, 324-pound defensive tackle, the 29-year-old is now in the free and clear to sign with any team, including to a team’s practice squad, which would not have been an option had he been claimed off the waiver wire.
Saunders’ former Chiefs teammates are already openly lobbying Kansas City general manager Brett Veach to make a reunion happen, according to a Friday report by Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star
“We’ve got to get my brother back,” 10-year veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones told Sweeney. “Veach and those guys do a really good job getting guys familiar with the system back. So hopefully he’s one of those guys we can get back in the system.”
Former Teammates Lobby to Get Saunders Back
“When he was here, he was a huge contributor for us on defense, especially when we were making our (Super Bowl) runs,” added linebacker Nick Bolton, as quoted by Sweeney. “Having a guy familiar with the defense and familiar with the faces around here — he’s been in this locker room before. We understand he meshes with these guys.”
Defensive end Mike Danna added his voice to the chorus clamoring for Saunders — a member of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning teams in 2019 and 2022 — to rejoin the squad.
“He’s part of the family,” Danna said, as quoted in Sweeney’s report. “I’ve got a lot of love and respect for him, and to have a person like that back — that’d be awesome.”
Saunders Tied to Chiefs For Multiple Reasons
In his four seasons with the Chiefs, Saunders started five games and appeared in 38, collecting 4 1/2 sacks and making 40 solo tackles along with another 41 of the assisted variety.
And yet, Saunders even made an impact on the Chiefs as a member of the Saints, intercepting a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the end zone during a 2024 Monday Night Football game, returning it 37 yards.
In another Chiefs connection, Saunders’ brother Kameron is a backup dancer for pop megastar Taylor Swift, the fiancé of Kansas City’s 13-year veteran tight end Travis Kelce.
