More details about the Deshaun Watson lottery; The latest in Baker Mayfield

Although there are four finalists for QB Deshaun Watson Before completing Brown and Texas hot trade that sent Watson to Cleveland, Up to 10 teams They are said to be interested in Watson’s services. In remarks made after the trade, Houston GM Nick Caserio He did not say exactly how many teams made inquiries, but noted that interest went beyond Browns, Saints, Panthers, and Hawks.

“I would say there were quite a few teams, but what we tried to do was bring in teams that had a legitimate interest, and that was based on the compensation offered.” Caserio said (via Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk). “I don’t want to go into the exact number, but there were a few, but there were many more teams than everyone was reporting at the end.”

Caserio’s comments confirm what has been reported all along: Permission was given only to clubs that were willing to meet the exorbitant asking price of Texas (three of the first rounds and more) to hold a personal meeting with Watson. While this seems like the only logical move in hindsight, it was a notable hit from Caserio. Had Watson been allowed to meet with all interested clubs, regardless of the proposed compensation, Watson might have decided to waive the no-trade clause for just one team, thus undermining Caserio’s influence. But as Florio notes, by going through the “prequalification” process, Caserio ensured he’d get what he wanted before Watson really had a say in his next destination.

Per Florio, the Ponies set a Texas sensation, but Caserio wasn’t willing to deal with Watson within his squad. Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network Reports indicate that the Eagles remained interested throughout the operation, but Watson was not willing to concede the no-trade clause to Philadelphia, in large part because he is a friend of the Eagles QB Galen Hurts And you didn’t want to get rid of the Hurts prefix function. Wilson adds that the 49ers also made a call to the Texans last year.

Caserio suggested that reports regarding Texans’ interest in players as well as choices in the Watson trade-off were at least somewhat exaggerated, saying, “I would say that aside from three picks in the first round, I would probably say the rest was a bit of a speculation.” However, Wilson states that if Houston swings into a deal with the Falcons, the Atlanta CB A.J. Terrell It would have piqued Caserio’s curiosity, and if the Saints were able to get Watson, New Orleans OLs Eric McCoy Wow Cesar Ruiz Perhaps it was part of the package going back to Texas.

In the end, it was the brown, who he initially thought were so Out of the race for Watson, were able to get a three-time Pro Bowler because they were willing to give him a contract — five years for a fully guaranteed $230 million, which Wilson reports includes a $45 million signing bonus — other teams were not comfortable matching. We heard by the time the Cleveland-Houston deal was completed that the financial side of the equation had become unacceptable for the Hawks and the Panthers, and Wilson asserted in a separate article that Carolina was resistant A fully guaranteed agreement.

Cleveland probably felt compelled to make such a daring blow due to an unsalvageable situation with Baker Mayfield. Mayfield Trade order While Watson’s courtship of Browns was ongoing, and when it appeared that Watson would not waive the no-trade clause to facilitate the move to Northeast Ohio, Brown indicated that they would not accommodate the request. But as Mary Kay Capote at Cleveland.com He writes, Mayfield had no intention of playing for Brown in 2022 even if the club had not acquired Watson, and that fact could have forced Cleveland’s hand.

According to Capote, Brown made it clear to the Mayfield camp that they would pursue the QB Championship in the first division in the off-season, but were content to bring it back with the #1 overall pick for the 2018 draft if that pursuit was unsuccessful. Since he had been upfront with him about their intentions, the organization thought that things could eventually be smoothed out with Mayfield. As we heard last week, Mayfield refused the owner Jimmy HassanHe offered to travel to Mayfield’s house to discuss the situation, which was a clear indication of trouble in Heaven.

Cabot further reported that Watson’s status and team comments on it He was looking for an “adult” At centre-back – implying that Mayfield is not, in fact, an adult – is just the last straw. Mayfield was said to have issues with HC Kevin StefanskyThe Calling Game and the Scheme, Stefansky You will retain the duties of contact play In 2022, Mayfield was ready to skip the Browns offseason program and junior camp in an effort to force a deal on a team with an attack more suited to their skill set. With Mayfield eligible for free agency in 2023, it is clear that the upcoming season is important to him, both financially and on the field.

We recently learned that Mayfield would help Prefer to be traded on dowries. Cabot suggests that, if Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard Interested, he could ask Brown to pay at least some of Mayfield’s $18.9 million salary, and since Cleveland have no choice but to deal with Mayfield at this point, the team’s leverage in this regard and in terms of commercial compensation is somewhat limited.

Both Cabot and Bob Condota from The Seattle Times He confirmed that the Seahawks might be interested in Mayfield but they’re really excited Drew Lockwho recently came to Seattle in the trade that was sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos. As for the Texans, Caserio was noncommittal when asked if he Davis Mills, who started 11 games as a rookie in 2021 and has shown marked improvement along his stretch, will remain QB1 in Houston. However, Mills is expected to open the 2022 campaign as the starting signal caller, despite Caserio’s comments that the team is “starting from scratch” in the sport’s most important position.