While there have been questions surrounding the future of Deshaun Watson for over a year, it appears he has gotten past his allegations and found a new home in Cleveland. Watson signed a five year contract worth two hundred and thirty million dollars with the Browns. The Browns have been a solid team for the past few years but it’s clear that former first overall pick Baker Mayfield simply hasn’t been getting it done. Does the signing of Watson make the Browns a real contender for the Super Bowl? 

Deshaun Watson has proven he can carry a mediocre team to the playoffs. He led the Texans to the playoffs in consecutive seasons with a below average core. The Browns are a significantly better team than the Texans which only bodes well for Watson. With a top ten offensive line, an elite running back duo in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and a top tier defense, the Browns have the potential to light the NFL on fire starting this fall. Deshaun Watson will open up so many problems for the offense compared to when Baker Mayfield was at the helm.  

On offense in previous years, opposing teams would stack the box for Nick Chubb making it extremely hard for him to find any room on the ground. Opponents wanted to make Mayfield beat them because they knew his shaky quarterback play was a risk worth taking. With star Quarterback Deshaun Watson, you can’t do this. Teams will have to respect his arm and playmaking ability which will make Chubb’s life infinitely easier. We saw how dominant Watson was with wide receiver Deandre Hopkins in Houston and with recently acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper we could see the same sort of success. Give Watson any sort of running game and that spells trouble across the league. 

The Browns have built a balanced team and finally have enough firepower with Deshaun Watson. Even if Watson misses some time, many are predicting Cleveland to be playoff bound. Right when the Bengals think it’s their turn to run the division, the Browns have other ideas.