Cleveland Browns QB a 'Candidate' for Major Offseason Move

A Cleveland Browns quarterback is a "candidate" for a major offseason move after the season.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) directs the offense at the line of scrimmage against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns ended up falling once again in Week 11 NFL action on the road against the New Orleans Saints. When all was said and done, they dropped to 2-8 on the year with a 35-14 defeat.

While the losing has been tough to handle for fans, it might be what's best for this team. There are many different issues that will need to be fixed in the offseason.

Ending up with a top-three pick could be a massive help for the Browns if that is indeed where they end up. Perhaps, they could even land an elite quarterback of the future with their first-round pick.

Keeping that in mind, Cleveland will also need to figure out what to do with quarterback Deshaun Watson.

After another poor season and a torn Achilles, the Browns have to figure out a way to move on from Watson. Whether they simply bench him and pay out the rest of his two years or can find a way to move him in a trade, or just waive him and eat the cost, he's very unlikely to come back and play for Cleveland.

Spotrac has named Watson as one of the top potential "Roster Bubble Candidates" in their new article.

His 2025 cap hit comes in at $72,935,000 and his 2025 dead cap sits at $172,770,000.

"The provided numbers here are inconceivable, but real, further compounding a titanic mess in Cleveland. Nothing would surprise us at this point, but a situation where the Browns eat a portion of the $92M remaining, packaged with a draft pick or two to facilitate a trade for Watson isn't too wild - though it would mean a dead cap hit at or around $100M when all is said and done. Until Cleveland says otherwise, this is a must-watch situation."

Basically, they are projecting that the Browns will attempt to move on from Watson in the offseason.

Trading Watson along with a draft pick or two and eating some of money sounds plausible. What may not be possible is finding a trade partner that wants anything to do with acquiring Watson.

All of that being said, Cleveland has put itself in a very bad position. The trade for Watson and the contract they gave him was a monstrous mistake. It will be interesting to see how the front office tries to work their way out of the situation.