Quarterback Questions Take Backseat to Ownership's Role

The Cleveland Browns may not end up with Deshaun Watson, may be trading Baker Mayfield and have to figure out another path forward at quarterback, but we're back to asking questions about the role of ownership.

Entering the second decade of ownership under Jimmy and Dee Haslam of the Cleveland Browns, we are asking some of the same questions since they arrived. Chief among them is "Why can't they stay out of their own way?"

As they are trying to convince Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson to play for the Browns amid controversy, their own quarterback who played much of the past season injured is tweeting what might be his goodbye to the city of Cleveland.

The Browns aren't expected to land Watson, who would prefer to play in in a warmer climate. The circumstances around Watson, having been accused of sexual misconduct and harassment by 22 massage therapists, have proven to be a divisive topic among fans and media with some even going as far as cancelling season ticket packages.

Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network is reporting that Jimmy Haslam was the driving force of the Watson pursuit. Does that mean general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski weren't on board?

If they were on board, it's back to being a debate about Watson, which isn't fun, but is certainly preferable to talking about issues with ownership. If not, did Haslam damage his own product's reputation while also harming the relationship with his coach and GM?

If the organization did not feel Baker Mayfield was the future of the quarterback position, so be it. It's disappointing that they are once again going looking for a quarterback given the enthusiasm just 14 months ago coming off the first playoff win in decades, but it's not the end of the world. They would then be charged with proving that was the right decision. It could be.

The Browns have invested time and energy into trying to improve the reputation with players and agents. Trading Mayfield to somewhere he wants to go, reportedly the Indianapolis Colts per Pauline, would be the latest example in that effort. But if Haslam is forcing his way into football decisions, those actions could once again make agents question whether their clients should play in Cleveland. 

Agents like certainty, predictability. The Browns have hurt themselves by being volatile in no small part due to actions by Haslam, something that appeared to be improving. It hasn't been easy, but they've built some credibility on that front. They can't afford to waste it.

It's another situation where Haslam at least appears to be getting involved in matters better left to the people he hired for that expressed purpose. The Browns went 11-5 just a season ago, winning a playoff game, then regressed due to injuries and some poor performances, going 8-9.

The Browns had expectations they failed to meet in 2021, but that isn't a reason to have ownership take the helm and set a new course.

The Baltimore Ravens were also disappointing in 2021. They finished 8-9, technically last in the AFC North. Owner Steve Bisciotti is not leading the charge down to Houston mandating they make a push for Watson or make another roster moves. He is letting the people he hired do their jobs, which now notably includes a guy Haslam fired in Sashi Brown, operating as the Ravens team president.

The Browns can get by in a world where they don't get Watson, trade Mayfield and go with a quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo until they can make a move for a better option. It's just going to be more difficult if the owner undermines the people he put in charge.

It's his team. He gets to do what he wants and fans have to decide if they want to support it or not, but this is what made it difficult for the Browns to hire good people in the first place. The Browns were hiring people like Mike Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Pat Shurmur and Mike Pettine, most of which were dead on arrival.

It took going 1-31, resetting the Browns entirely to once again become a functional organization due to overwhelming incompetence. Haslam himself has noted "difficult lessons" because there's no handbook on being an NFL owner. Haslam is fortunate to have people better equipped to run the team, but he's now owned the team for ten years. At this point, it would just be who he is.

So to Jimmy Haslam I have one question - Did you order the code red?