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The Houston Texans traded quarterback Deshaun Watson on Friday (March 18) and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for three first-round picks that span the next three NFL drafts, a third-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick in 2024.
The transaction came more than a year after Watson, the 12th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Clemson, demanded to be traded. General manager Nick Caserio said in a team-issued press release that shipping Watson to Cleveland allows the Texans to continue with their rebuild. Houston won a combined eight games in the last two seasons.
"I felt it was the right move for our organization as we head into the new league year focused on building our roster for the 2022 season," Caserio said. "Our priority right now is adding talented players to the foundation we have already put in place over the last 15 months and this trade supports that plan. As we navigate through the rest of the offseason, we remain open-minded to all avenues that allow us to improve our roster and add to our program."
Chair and CEO Cal McNair, whose late father brought the NFL back to Houston 20 years ago, commended Caserio on the trade, according to the release.
"I'm extremely proud of the way Nick Caserio navigated us through this challenging situation," McNair said. "He remained patient before ultimately making the decision that is best for us in both the short and long term. We're confident in our plan to build a championship program that can sustain success and our entire organization is excited to move forward together."
The trade followed a Harris County grand jury's decision to not criminally charge Watson after 22 women accused him of sexual assault and harassment.
The fifth-year veteran; however, faces a bevy of civil lawsuits from these women and will likely serve a suspension in the upcoming season.
Watson suited up for the Texans for four seasons but was inactive throughout the 2021 season as the Texans front office worked to trade him to no avail, the Houston Daily reported.
Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement that they "spent a tremendous amount of time" studying the benefits and ramifications of trading for Watson.
The Haslams added that they fully acknowledge the signal-caller's current legal troubles.
"It was pivotal that we, along with [general manager] Andrew Berry and [head coach] Kevin Stefanski, meet with Deshaun to have a straightforward dialogue, discuss our priorities and hear directly from him on how he wants to approach his career on and off the field," the Haslams said in the statement.
They also said Watson expressed humility and sincerity during their conversations.
"In our conversations, Deshaun detailed his commitment to leading our team; he understands and embraces the hard work needed to build his name both in the community and on the field," the owners said in the Browns' release.
As the Texans' field general, Watson threw for nearly 15,000 yards and more than 100 touchdowns through 54 games, according to the website Pro Football Reference.