Does Texans GM believe he won Deshaun Watson trade with Browns?

Cleveland Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand revealed in a piece published on Tuesday that he spoke with Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio at the NFL scouting combine about the Texans' trade of quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Browns in March 2022. 

Caserio understandably declined to spike the figurative football regarding that particular transaction. 

"I haven’t been able to keep track of all the moves," Caserio said about roster-building decisions linked with the Watson trade. "...Anytime you give up an asset, you’re getting assets in return. What you do with those assets is all about the decisions that you make. We were fortunate we’ve added players that have been able to help our team." 

Cleveland sent three first-round draft picks and other assets to Houston and also signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract as part of the trade. He has since started just 12 regular-season games for the Browns after he missed 11 contests during the 2022 campaign while serving a suspension related to accusations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson was then shut down this past November because of a shoulder injury. 

Meanwhile, the 2022 Texans finished that season with a 3-13-1 record that allowed them to take quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second pick of the 2023 NFL Draft and pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. third overall last spring. Both players ultimately earned Associated Press Rookie of the Year honors and helped the 2023 Texans claim the AFC South division title before Houston beat Cleveland in a wild-card playoff game on Jan. 13. 

"Each year is going to be different," Caserio added during his chat with Grossi. "But that’s in the past. Where we are today, we have a number of players that have helped our team. Hopefully, that continues moving forward. Cleveland...all the respect for Cleveland. They have a good football team, won a lot of football games. Deshaun’s going to be a good player in this league for a long time."

Some continue to suggest that the Browns could look to move on from Watson as soon as after the 2024 season. If such a scenario plays out, Caserio could be remembered for winning one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history.