FREE DESHAUN WATSON!!!!

I call bullshit. 16 at the most and is last year going to count for anything?

This is almost an unprecedented situation in ways….some due to the situation itself and some due to other factors.

I would imagine it’s possible they count last season as nothing suspension wise, he wasn’t suspended by the league last year, he was sat by the team. They don’t even have precedent to give him any “time served”.

They also have a very 21st century problem. They just suspended a guy a year for gambling. Optics come into play now. What do you stand for and against? That piece begs for more than one year. That said….I don’t believe any precedent has ever been established for more than one year suspension.

So….I think it lands at a full year in 2022. And they will face the ire of this anyway from both sides….because that’s what we do these days.
 
This is almost an unprecedented situation in ways….some due to the situation itself and some due to other factors.

I would imagine it’s possible they count last season as nothing suspension wise, he wasn’t suspended by the league last year, he was sat by the team. They don’t even have precedent to give him any “time served”.

They also have a very 21st century problem. They just suspended a guy a year for gambling. Optics come into play now. What do you stand for and against? That piece begs for more than one year. That said….I don’t believe any precedent has ever been established for more than one year suspension.

So….I think it lands at a full year in 2022. And they will face the ire of this anyway from both sides….because that’s what we do these days.

Gambling by players, coaching staff, or officiating crews will always receive the harshest punishment because it calls into question the legitimacy of the on field product. Same situation with steroids.

Off the field issues (unless we're talking Aaron Hernandez style issues) tend to get lesser sentences by the league. This one is tricky since there's a massive number of claims, but there's no physical evidence, nor are there any criminal charges. IIRC, these are all civil cases. I agree that the league will likely do something large-ish, but wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being 6 or 8 games instead of a full season.

I'm still pissed at the Browns for this move.
 
Gambling by players, coaching staff, or officiating crews will always receive the harshest punishment because it calls into question the legitimacy of the on field product. Same situation with steroids.

Off the field issues (unless we're talking Aaron Hernandez style issues) tend to get lesser sentences by the league. This one is tricky since there's a massive number of claims, but there's no physical evidence, nor are there any criminal charges. IIRC, these are all civil cases. I agree that the league will likely do something large-ish, but wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being 6 or 8 games instead of a full season.

I'm still pissed at the Browns for this move.
Fair points on the trickiness of this case without charges or much in the way of proof.

My take was not so much based on my own feelings on this…but the anticipated “public” backlash if they suspend him less than Ridley.

Since I’ve posted that take I’ve come quickly and firmly to the conclusion that they can’t get wrapped up in designing a punishment that would counter these weak perceptions, even if the CBA would allow for it.

Honestly, there was a lot of smoke around the Eagles paying a ransom for him. Strictly on a talent level I could get behind it….but not with all this noise swirling. No thank you. Totally feel for Browns fans on this.
 
Fair points on the trickiness of this case without charges or much in the way of proof.

My take was not so much based on my own feelings on this…but the anticipated “public” backlash if they suspend him less than Ridley.

Since I’ve posted that take I’ve come quickly and firmly to the conclusion that they can’t get wrapped up in designing a punishment that would counter these weak perceptions, even if the CBA would allow for it.

Honestly, there was a lot of smoke around the Eagles paying a ransom for him. Strictly on a talent level I could get behind it….but not with all this noise swirling. No thank you. Totally feel for Browns fans on this.

Just my take, but I think the NFL cares very little about bad PR. If it were the NBA, i think a season long suspension would be the likely outcome. They're a lot more aggressive about stuff like that. The NFL passes out fines and small suspensions like candy, but rarely fires off a long term suspension/penalty for an off the field act except in the cases of criminal activity, things caught on camera, or potential black marks on the sanctity of the game (ie: betting and PEDs).

The biggest thing Watson has going for him is the comparison to the Robert Kraft case, and he ended up getting nothing at all really. It's written in their CBA that ownership is set to a higher standard of accountability.
 
Just my take, but I think the NFL cares very little about bad PR. If it were the NBA, i think a season long suspension would be the likely outcome. They're a lot more aggressive about stuff like that. The NFL passes out fines and small suspensions like candy, but rarely fires off a long term suspension/penalty for an off the field act except in the cases of criminal activity, things caught on camera, or potential black marks on the sanctity of the game (ie: betting and PEDs).

The biggest thing Watson has going for him is the comparison to the Robert Kraft case, and he ended up getting nothing at all really. It's written in their CBA that ownership is set to a higher standard of accountability.
Another thing to consider is how Goodell screwed the pooch with the owners. He doesn't have much leverage, it's all in Robinsons' hands at this point. I have mixed feelings on Watson.
Although I have been waiting a long time for the Browns to get their franchise QB this isn't ideal. I will never root for the guy as a person I will tell you that much. I will root for guys like Denzel Ward and Nick Chubb, good on the field and off. I guess every team has "that guy" but it just sucks it's the QB.
 
Watson suspended 6 games --

 
So Watson gets the same 6 games Zeke got? Lolzzz
 
FREE DESHAUN!
 
What a joke. Should have given him the full year off. So he gets a ton of money, almost zero monetary penalty, and gets to play most of the season.
 
Cleveland is breathing a collective sigh of relief today. This was almost (and maybe should have been) a complete disaster for them.
 
do you want your franchise guy playing when you start 0-6 ?
 
do you want your franchise guy playing when you start 0-6 ?
I certainly hope they don't go winless playing the Falcons, Jets and Panthers. A top ten roster without Watson.
 
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