Anonymous NFL agent on Deshaun Watson controversy: 'Disgusting. Complete, 100 percent franchise malpractice'

The results of The Athletic's fourth annual NFL agent survey were released on Monday morning. The survey, which "provided a forum for 26 certified agents to vent about numerous league-wide issues" was conducted anonymously between July 18 and Aug. 7.

One of the questions for the agents was "What do you make of Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed, $230 million contract with the Browns and his punishment for what a retired judge deemed 'egregious' and 'predatory' behavior?" The responses featured from very strong opinions.

"Disgusting. Complete, 100 percent franchise malpractice. Sends the wrong message," one agent said. "For the Houston Texans to dump him as quickly as they did and to settle the lawsuits as quickly as they did says a lot about him. It says a tremendous amount about the Cleveland Browns organization. ... To get a guy they think can help win games, where winning games is the priority over sending a message to women and sending a message to other athletes that behavior like that will be tolerated. ... Desperate times call for desperate measures, and (signing Watson) is as desperate as anything I’ve ever seen in the history of professional sports in this country."

"The Cleveland Browns continuing to make fools of themselves by going after Watson," another response read.

There were, however, some answers that struck a different tone.

"I thought it was fantastic development for players and negotiations around the league. You had a franchise quarterback who was (essentially) a free agent. It was the ultimate leverage, and they took advantage of it. And I’d like to think there’ll be more of that moving forward," one agent responded.

"I understand why Cleveland did it. The AFC is loaded at quarterback, and look at their division. Cincinnati just went to the Super Bowl with Joe Burrow. Baltimore has an MVP quarterback (Lamar Jackson). Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin just doesn’t have losing seasons. So now you’re sitting there with Baker Mayfield thinking we’re going to be a fourth-place team. People panicked," another one said. "If you have (Watson) as a top-five quarterback in the league, which some people did prior to all this, those quarterbacks never come available in their prime."

Watson has been suspended 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league's personal conduct policy. He faces over 20 allegations of sexual misconduct stemming from visits with dozens of massage therapists.

As long as his 11-game suspension holds, his first eligible game back would be a road matchup against his former team, the Houston Texans.