Deshaun Watson's Contract has Massive Implications for Team Building

Cleveland has never worried about paying players, in part because they were never on the hook for a large quarterback contract. They are now and will be forced to go through some roster gymnastics in the coming years.

The Cleveland Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson over the weekend. The two sides agreed to a re-worked extension, a five-year fully-guaranteed deal worth $230 million.

The extension was necessary to bring Watson to Cleveland. He initially eliminated them from his list, but Watson agreed to waive his no-trade clause once they came back with the extension offer.

The functional goal of every football operation is to wind up paying big money to both a quarterback and an edge rusher. Those are the two premium positions in the sport, and the Browns have now attained that goal. 

Cleveland is now tied to Watson and edge rusher Myles Garrett through the 2027 season. Garrett's extension appears to be a bargain, as several defensive players have signed more significant extensions over the past few years.

Nonetheless, Cleveland will be paying the duo an average of $71 million over the next five seasons. That means they will be tasked with some difficult roster decisions in the coming years, as the pie isn't big enough for everyone to have a slice.

For example, corner Denzel Ward likely would have signed a record-breaking contract at the position this offseason. That may not be in the cards now, as Cleveland would be paying three players around $100 million per season for the foreseeable future.

The New Orleans Saints should be a lesson in context for Cleveland. They mortgaged their future around quarterback Drew Brees, attempting to go all-in with the hopes of winning a Super Bowl during his final few years.

They didn't accomplish this goal and now have to face the repercussions for handing out massive contracts to every in-house player. They continue to push some of the problems down the line, but they lose talented players every offseason because they can't afford to keep them around.

That may mean having to part ways with someone like Ward. Despite being an uber-talented player, Cleveland may stand more to gain by obtaining a high draft pick via trade.

General manager Andrew Berry has proved his worth as an executive several times over. He routinely drafts well and excels at working around the salary cap. He was one of the main reasons they brought in Watson, as his affinity for the quarterback dates back to Watson's Clemson days.

Berry now has his prized possession, the leader of his franchise that could take them to new highs. However, it is now his job to ensure he puts Watson in favorable situations during his tenure with the team.

Watson excelled during his stint with the Houston Texans and put up gaudy numbers in his final year with them. Despite his exceptional play, they finished 4-12 and were one of the worst teams in football.

Houston's struggles long pre-date their addition of Watson. They have struggled to draft consistently since their franchise was founded, but their experience with Watson shows that even elite quarterbacks need help.

Cleveland has that help in place, but they have to work hard in the coming years to ensure that help isn't the cause of their downfall. It appears they have the right people for that job, but their job just became much more difficult.