Browns 2021 Off-Season Thread

Watson is a franchise qb. He doesn’t need a special set of anything around him. If you gave Watson the line and RB game baker did he’d be an mvp candidate. Play action would be unstoppable with his threat to run to the outside.

Even if it were possible to just trade Baker for Watson straight-up (it isn't), that would be a stupid move by the Browns.

Out of the Rafters at the Q said:

Even if it were possible to just trade Baker for Watson straight-up (it isn't), that would be a stupid move by the Browns.

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Not to mention probably the easiest and quickest possible way to lose the locker room.

There's a lot more to the quarterback position than just stats.

Plus if my memory serves Watson was one of the only QBs we stopped on 4th down this season!

People really want to give up a trove of assets to get marginally better (if at all) at a position of strength when 9 out of 11 defensive positions need addressing?

Wait, are people saying they think Baker is better, right now, than Watson?

col63onel said:

Wait, are people saying they think Baker is better, right now, than Watson?

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Not 1v1, But certainly not better for this team if it costs us a boat-load of assets.

col63onel said:

Wait, are people saying they think Baker is better, right now, than Watson?

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From an overall stand point and for THIS team Baker is a better fit

Watson is absolutely more talented from an athletic stand point. But even if you could just swap Baker for watson straight up (you can't) it's just not worth the risk to this team. You spend 22 years looking for a franchise QB and when you finally find him, and he leads you to the playoffs (and a win) you can't just trade him away. Period the end.

SuperSurge said:

Not 1v1, But certainly not better for this team if it costs us a boat-load of assets.

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Oh, I agree that trading for Watson costs us both draft pick wise and cap wise, and there's no way we pull it off.

But all things equal, I would take Watson right now.

Houston might be talking a big game about a potential "return" for Watson.

But its not going the absurd "four firsts" type of return considering teams know he wouldn't be getting traded if his relationship with McNair's and Easterby weren't completely irreparable.

That would invariably hurt his asset value.


Were I offered Baker and 26 for Watson, I'd jump at that. Though I'm sure an actual return would likely be higher than that.

Just doesn't really fit with where this team is heading.

bob2the2nd said:

From an overall stand point and for THIS team Baker is a better fit

Watson is absolutely more talented from an athletic stand point. But even if you could just swap Baker for watson straight up (you can't) it's just not worth the risk to this team. You spend 22 years looking for a franchise QB and when you finally find him, and he leads you to the playoffs (and a win) you can't just trade him away. Period the end.

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The bold is the only thing I agree with.

We don't have the draft assets to trade for Watson, nor do we have the cap flexibility right now. But Watson is better.

bob2the2nd said:

From an overall stand point and for THIS team Baker is a better fit

Watson is absolutely more talented from an athletic stand point. But even if you could just swap Baker for watson straight up (you can't) it's just not worth the risk to this team. You spend 22 years looking for a franchise QB and when you finally find him, and he leads you to the playoffs (and a win) you can't just trade him away. Period the end.

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And honestly, I'd be a bit concerned about trading for a player who already is forcing his way out of his first team. I'm sure he's a great guy and all...but this really seems a classic bird in the hand situation. You risk screwing up a good thing because you think something a little bit better may be available. I think the QB we have now is good enough to take us to a Super Bowl, and is good enough to win us games and not just be the "game manager" type. So with that being set, I'd rather put other assets into improving the rest of the team.

PS player stays another year

Hi, I'm sometimes a big dummy and have to go back and edit my posts.

There are obviously cap considerations here.......but unequivocally, Watson is a better player than Baker to me.

That isn't even a knock on Baker. If you had a discussion about tiering QB's moving forward, I honestly think Watson is the only other player that even has an argument to land in Mahomes' tier from a team building standpoint. I do believe his ceiling is that high.

To level set, Watson has better career rating than someone like Aaron Rodgers. He has to sustain it obviously but through the dumpster fire that is the Houston org, that is just really staggering to me.

If you put Watson in the Cleveland offense, it would be laughably good. I think trading Baker is a super sticky situation though.......and it isn't just as easy as who is better.

Watson costs more, so there would be trade offs. But it is at least an entertaining hypothetical. I'd prefer to keep Baker but I see why some might entertain this relative to how insanely good I think Watson would be with real talent around him.