Browns insider shares strange Joe Flacco, Deshaun Watson claim

Cleveland Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand has made it clear he believes the club's choice of Jameis Winston over fan-favorite Joe Flacco as its backup quarterback is directly related to making starter Deshaun Watson as comfortable as possible this offseason. 

Grossi further addressed the matter on Wednesday. 

"I probably owe the Cleveland Browns an apology for this reason: I’m sorry I had so much fun watching this and covering this team at the end of the year," Grossi said during an appearance on ESPN Cleveland's "The Really Big Show." "We’re not supposed to do that. We were all supposed to be in mourning and bag the season. We weren’t supposed to have so much fun. OK? That’s the way I interrupt this move. 'Shame on you guys for enjoying the fact that our starting quarterback that we paid $230 million to wasn’t on the field. We want to win with him, not with anyone else.'" 

Grossi referenced how Watson, who signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract with the Browns in March 2022, was shut down with a season-ending shoulder injury in November. Flacco famously went from being an unsigned free agent to a Cleveland savior who won four of five starts to guide the Browns to the playoffs, and the 39-year-old later earned Comeback Player of the Year honors for his efforts. 

While Flacco seemingly was willing to serve as Watson's backup again in 2024, Cleveland instead came to an agreement with Winston on what NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero (h/t Nick Shook) reported to be a one-year contract with a base value of $4M guaranteed and a max value of $8.7M. To compare, Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network revealed on Wednesday that the Indianapolis Colts planned to sign Flacco to a one-year deal worth up to $8.7M that includes $4.5M guaranteed.

Grossi and fellow Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer have both mentioned the team wanted the quarterback room to include players Watson feels "comfortable with" as he recovers from his shoulder issue. It's widely believed the Browns could explore moving on from the 28-year-old next winter if he either suffers another injury or fails to perform like an elite signal-caller. 

"That’s the feeling that I get on this move: It’s the fans' fault for finally having joy of watching a quarterback make great throws and lead the team and get popular," Grossi continued. "So that’s the feeling I get. That’s my fault for finally enjoying what I was seeing on the field." 

What's done is done, and it's now on Watson to win fans over via his on-the-field performances beginning in September.