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Angels roundtable: Shohei Ohtani-led team can challenge Astros for AL West title

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Angels roundtable: Shohei Ohtani-led team can challenge Astros for AL West title

The Angels are in first place.

OK, the 2022 season is barely in its third week, however for a franchise that hasn’t made the postseason since 2014, it’s an encouraging begin. Recent off taking two of three video games in opposition to the Astros in Houston, the Angels (8-5) return to Angel Stadium on Friday for a homestand that features three video games in opposition to the Baltimore Orioles and 4 in opposition to the Cleveland Guardians.

With Instances baseball editor Hans Tesselaar serving as moderator, Instances employees author Mike DiGiovanna and assistant sports activities editor Steve Henson mentioned all issues Angels after the season’s first 13 video games.

Supervisor Joe Maddon wasn’t too involved when the Angels opened the season dropping three of 4 to the Astros. “My takeaway is that we’re very near Houston,” he mentioned of the workforce that has performed within the World Sequence three of the final 5 seasons. Since that collection, the Angels are 7-2. So, is Maddon appropriate?

DiGiovanna: Sure, and successful two of three in Houston this week with out Mike Trout, who was nursing a bruised left hand and is predicted again Friday night time, proved it. That doesn’t essentially imply the Angels will overtake the Astros and win the division, however their lineup, rotation and bullpen are deeper and extra balanced than they’ve been in years, they usually’re adequate to a minimum of to problem Houston for the title.

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Henson: Hate to puncture the optimism of spring with chilly numbers, however the Angels completed 18 video games behind the Astros in 2021, three video games behind them within the abbreviated 2020 season, 35 video games behind them in 2019, 23 video games behind them in 2018 and 21 video games behind them in 2017. That’s lots of floor to make up and successful two of three in April doesn’t do greater than carry them a step or two nearer to the dominant workforce within the AL West.

There’s loads to love concerning the offense. The Angels entered Thursday main the main leagues in runs (65) and tied for the lead in dwelling runs (16) and stolen bases (11). What do you want concerning the offense?

DiGiovanna: That they’re not one-dimensional. They’re not relying totally on the lengthy ball. They scored 13 runs in wins over the Astros on Tuesday and Wednesday with out hitting a homer. They’re manufacturing runs with pace, situational hitting and aggressive baserunning. They’re “passing the baton,” as managers prefer to say, taking a stroll or advancing a runner with an out and trusting the batter behind them to come back by means of. And so they’ve been productive with comparatively modest contributions from Trout (.267, two homers, three RBIs) and Anthony Rendon (.200, one homer, 4 RBIs).

Henson: The Angels do have a multifaceted offense and a deep lineup. Get everyone wholesome — for as soon as — and it’d be enjoyable to look at this workforce punish opposing pitchers. As Mike factors out, Trout and Rendon aren’t sizzling but. Additionally, spark plug David Fletcher has been injured, Shohei Ohtani has only a .288 OBP from the leadoff spot, and children Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell ought to solely get higher. Determine in budding famous person Jared Walsh and surprisingly prolific Max Stassi and, sure, the Angels simply would possibly slug — and run — their approach to nipping on the Astros’ heels.

Angels pitcher Noah Syndergaard, working in opposition to the Texas Rangers on April 16, is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in two begins.

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(Richard W. Rodriguez / Related Press)

What concerning the beginning pitching, particularly what they’ve gotten so removed from Noah Syndergaard?

DiGiovanna: Syndergaard has been excellent, going 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his first two begins regardless of not approaching triple digits along with his fastball. His velocity ought to enhance as he regains energy and stamina in his return from Tommy John surgical procedure, so there is no such thing as a purpose to assume he gained’t workforce with Ohtani to offer the Angels two dominant front-of-the-rotation starters. Michael Lorenzen’s outcomes have been blended, however his stuff seems good and he seems sturdy sufficient to transition from the bullpen to the rotation. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval’s eight scoreless innings have been laborious, nevertheless it’s clear his fastball-changeup mixture will play. The opposite two younger lefties — Reid Detmers (8.59 ERA) and Jose Suarez (5.19 ERA) — have struggled.

Henson: The highest of the rotation of Ohtani and Syndergaard seems locked in. The unanswered questions come deeper. Lorenzen has but to show he can stand up to a starter’s workload; he made solely 28 begins in 297 appearances coming into the season and 21 of these got here as a rookie in 2015. Sandoval and Suarez present flashes of effectiveness then wrestle. Detmers, a first-round draft choose, has upside and he’d higher attain it rapidly if we’re speaking about contending in 2022.

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The Angels invested huge cash to improve the bullpen. Cash nicely spent so far?

DiGiovanna: Undoubtedly. The bullpen as a complete ranked twenty fourth in baseball with a 4.34 ERA coming into Thursday, however the three arms wherein the Angels invested most closely — nearer Raisel Iglesias, left-hander Aaron Loup and right-hander Ryan Tepera — have mixed to surrender three earned runs and 4 hits, hanging out 18 and strolling two in 18 1/3 innings for a 1.47 ERA. Iglesias has been dominant. Loup has not given up a success in 6 1/3 innings. Tepera rebounded properly after two of his first 4 pitches had been hit for homers within the season opener. Mike Mayers seems higher after a shaky begin. Austin Warren has been stable. If Archie Bradley (6.75 ERA) regains his type, the Angels have the makings of a deep and efficient bullpen.

Henson: Ditto undoubtedly. The bullpen was the main focus of offseason acquisitions, and so long as everybody stays wholesome it ought to be a energy all through the season. Setup relievers who may enter a sport early when the scenario requires it have by no means been extra worthwhile. Bradley, Tepera and Warren fill the invoice. And let’s not neglect rookie Oliver Ortega, who has regarded good to this point.

Angels' Jo Adell is congratulated after his home run against the Texas Rangers on April 15 in Arlington, Texas.

Jo Adell is congratulated within the dugout after his dwelling run in opposition to the Texas Rangers on April 15.

(Michael Ainsworth/Related Press)

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What ought to they be involved about after 13 video games?

DiGiovanna: Angels hitters entered Thursday with 129 strikeouts, tied with Cincinnati for many within the main leagues, they usually had been caught stealing eight instances, greater than twice as a lot as some other membership. Adell has proven prodigious energy potential, however he has 20 strikeouts and one stroll in 43 at-bats and his protection [as a corner outfielder] has been shaky at instances.

Henson: Lack of beginning rotation depth has dogged the Angels for years and that hasn’t modified. Starters are costly and dangerous to signal. Creating them by means of the farm system is by far the popular route and the Angels have made progress there. But when the lineup hits to its potential and the Angels are in a pennant race because the commerce deadline approaches, we all know the place the main focus might be to enhance.

OK, we’ve gone this far with no Shohei Ohtani query. On Wednesday, he was good for five 1/3 innings in opposition to the Astros. He gave up just one hit and struck out 12 in six innings. How quickly earlier than his throws a no-hitter or perhaps a good sport?

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DiGiovanna: In all probability very quickly, contemplating how dominant his swing-and-miss stuff may be and the way weak some opposing lineups are. The one impediment may be Ohtani’s pitch counts, that are normally pushed up by his excessive strikeout totals. I commend Maddon for saying he wouldn’t have pulled Ohtani from an ideal sport, however will he really feel the identical approach if Ohtani has a no-hitter by means of seven or eight innings and is approaching the 120-pitch vary? I believe not.

Henson: Yeah, it was attention-grabbing to see Maddon take the anti-Dodgers stance on permitting a pitcher to chase perfection. Ohtani is actually able to throwing a no-hitter and wouldn’t shock anybody if he achieves it. Mike is appropriate in noting that his excessive proportion of swings and misses drive up his pitch rely. A mixed no-hitter with Loup and Iglesias wouldn’t be so dangerous anyway.

Apart from dominating on the mound Wednesday, Ohtani additionally had two hits and two RBIs. He’s batting solely .236, however that determine is at .300 in his final seven video games. Are we seeing indicators he might have one other historic season as a pitcher and a hitter?

DiGiovanna: For positive. Ohtani is a supremely gifted pitcher and hitter, and with good well being he’ll proceed to play at MVP ranges. He’s already seeing extra pitches to hit with Trout and Rendon, who sat out most of 2021, batting behind him, and I believe he’ll be much more productive if the Angels can discover a competent leadoff man and drop Ohtani to the second spot.

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Henson: Solely an excessive glass-half-empty-guy would venture something apart from unprecedented achievements from Ohtani. Getting Fletcher off the injured checklist and into the leadoff spot would bump Ohtani down the place he belongs within the batting order. I believe a house run title is an actual chance this season. And I’ll stick my neck out and say he’ll lead the AL in triples once more.

Angels manager Joe Maddon walks off the field after arguing a call in a game against the Texas Rangers on April 15.

Angels supervisor Joe Maddon walks off the sector after arguing a name in a sport in opposition to the Texas Rangers on April 15.

(Michael Ainsworth / Related Press)

In a sport in Texas final week, Maddon opted to have the Rangers’ Corey Seager deliberately walked with the bases loaded. What did you consider the technique?

DiGiovanna: I used to be not an enormous fan of this transfer as a result of it was so early within the sport and it denied Warren, a younger right-hander who has already proven some mettle in high-leverage conditions, an opportunity to problem one of many sport’s finest left-handed hitters.

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Henson: Fast historical past on strolling batters deliberately with the bases loaded. This was the third occasion since 1940 and each got here with two out within the ninth inning. The primary: Supervisor Buck Showalter of the Yankees walked Barry Bonds — completely comprehensible — and the following batter struck out to finish the sport. The second: Joe Maddon — attention-grabbing! — walked Josh Hamilton and the following batter struck out to finish the sport. I’m with Mike on this. It occurred too early and, anyway, why not simply pitch Seager sliders down and in and fastballs up and away? He’d both strike out or stroll.

Angels followers should be comfortable proper now. Will they nonetheless be comfortable in October?

DiGiovanna: Happiness is such a relative time period. … I don’t know. However they need to be “happier,” as a result of their workforce may have both made the playoffs or made a severe run at a playoff spot, and that may be an enormous improve over the previous seven years.

Henson: And in the event that they don’t make the playoffs — once more — they’ll enhance their temper by bouncing across the nook to the Happiest Place on Earth.

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Texas star Arch Manning will take reins after Quinn Ewers declares for draft

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Texas star Arch Manning will take reins after Quinn Ewers declares for draft

The Arch Manning era has begun in Texas.

With Quinn Ewers declaring for the NFL Draft on Wednesday, Manning is set to get the keys to the Lamborghini for the foreseeable future. He is very likely to be the starting quarterback for at least the 2025 season and possibly 2026 if he doesn’t decide to turn pro.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning runs against Ohio State during the Cotton Bowl, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

He is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL star quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning. He passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He also showcased his mobility with four rushing touchdowns.

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“This offseason, this is a time for him to attack,” former Texas star Colt McCoy said, via Underdog Fantasy Sports. “To work on some of the things he knows he needs to work on. He played three games. What were some things I wasn’t good at? What were some things I was good at? How can I get better? How can I have a great spring?…

“There’s a lot to build on if you’re looking at the entirety of the Texas football team, but for Arch, there’s a great opportunity that he’s walking into. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, go out there and be you. Play to your strengths.

NOTRE DAME’S RILEY LEONARD CREDITS OPEN FAITH FOR BRINGING TEAM, OHIO STATE TOGETHER FOR NATIONAL TITLE

Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning

Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns talk on the field before a game at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Oct. 12, 2024, in Dallas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

“We’re all different as quarterbacks, we all have an edge somehow. And I think if Arch is smart, he’ll figure out ‘what’s my edge?’”

Manning was mostly used in run-pass option packages for the Longhorns, giving defenses a different weapon to deal with. He started against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State when Ewers went down with an injury. 

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Manning had 258 passing yards, two touchdown passes in a 51-3 win against Louisiana-Monroe. He then had 325 passing yards and two touchdown passes against Mississippi State in a 35-13 win. But he was back to the backup role after Ewers returned.

The offense overall will take a hit. Top receivers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond declared for the draft and senior tight end Gunnar Helm is finished his eligibility.

ARch Manning lines up

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning lines up for a snap against UTSA at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 14, 2024. (Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Running back Jaydon Blue and offensive linemen Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cam Williams also declared for the NFL.

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LeBron James waved at young fan sitting courtside at Lakers game. Then she cried tears of joy

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LeBron James waved at young fan sitting courtside at Lakers game. Then she cried tears of joy

LeBron James made a young Lakers fan’s night Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. And then for good measure, he did it again.

During the first quarter of the Lakers’ game against the Miami Heat, James noticed a girl sitting courtside and wearing a replica of his jersey. So he gave her a wave, then turned his attention back to the game.

James didn’t notice the girl’s priceless reaction at the time, but the camera operators at Spectrum SportsNet did. The station’s clip of the youngster crying tears of joy while smiling from ear to ear after being acknowledged by the NBA’s all-time leading scorer quickly went viral — so much so that James actually saw it during the intermission.

“Family friends sent me the clip at halftime,” James told reporters after the game. “Thank goodness that I actually looked at my phone at halftime or I wouldn’t have even seen the reaction when I waved to her in the first half. …

“To have that type of connection with someone, where they can have that type of reaction, I think that’s what it’s all about, you know? I’ve always tried to be a role model and someone that kids can look up to.”

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He added: “That was a super-dope moment.”

James had an even doper moment in store for the kid after the game.

The Lakers trailed by 12 at halftime but mounted a furious comeback in the second half. After James hit a three-pointer to pull the Lakers to within one at the 6:40 mark of the third quarter, the girl was on her feet cheering and then yelled, “Yeah, LeBron!”

After the Lakers’ 117-108 win, James made it a point to find the girl, give her one of his foundation’s I Promise wristbands and pose for a photo in what was clearly another memorable moment for the fan.

“I think it’ll be something that hopefully she will never forget,” said James, who finished the game with 22 points, four rebounds and nine assists. “I’m happy to be a part of her life now and that small little moment was such a bigger moment. And hopefully she brags about it in school.”

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The Browns gave Deshaun Watson what he wanted. Now they’re paying the price

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The Browns gave Deshaun Watson what he wanted. Now they’re paying the price

CLEVELAND — To grasp how the Cleveland Browns spiraled into one of the worst teams in the NFL, it’s important to first return to the end of last season.

The Browns dismantled their offense this year and rebuilt an inferior version in an attempt to appease Deshaun Watson. All of the changes failed miserably. The Browns bottomed out as one of the worst teams in the league and plummeted to a 3-14 finish. They hold the second pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

For three years, the Browns contorted themselves to match Watson’s strengths and desires. But teammates ultimately grew tired of the organization catering to an ineffective quarterback, and he never really fit in Cleveland. He received at least one death threat.

Now as a second Achilles tear leaves Watson’s career in danger, the Browns can begin the painful process of officially moving on from the worst trade and biggest mistake in franchise history.

How did it get to this? And how did it end so badly? Look to last year.

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After Watson’s 2023 season ended prematurely with a broken bone in his shoulder, Joe Flacco joined the Browns in December and resurrected his career by throwing for 300 yards in four consecutive games — something Watson failed to do once in 19 starts with the Browns. It was an embarrassing exposure of the franchise quarterback. The problem was never the scheme.

Flacco’s performance during an 11-6 finish and improbable run to the playoffs earned him the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year and merited another contract to remain in Cleveland as Watson’s backup.

“You have to bring Joe back; somebody has to teach Deshaun the offense,” one member of the organization said as the season neared its conclusion. “Joe picked it up faster in 30 days than Deshaun has in two years.”

It was a stinging indictment of a quarterback the Browns invested three first-round picks and guaranteed $230 million to obtain.

Coach Kevin Stefanski had shown Watson film clips of his offense during their first meeting in March 2022, demonstrating how Watson could thrive in this wide zone, play-action scheme crafted by Gary Kubiak and Mike Shanahan. But after he arrived in Cleveland, Watson never embraced Stefanski’s system. He wanted to be in shotgun, and Stefanski wanted him under center to make the play-action component more effective.

The Browns tried giving Watson what he wanted. They fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt after the 2023 season and brought in Ken Dorsey, who had more experience with mobile quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Cam Newton. Two weeks after Van Pelt was fired, Bill Callahan departed as offensive line coach to join his son Brian’s staff in Tennessee.

I’ve spoken to players who believe Callahan would have stayed had Van Pelt remained on staff — when Brian first started receiving head-coaching interviews in 2023, Bill made clear he was staying in Cleveland — but all of that seemed to change when Van Pelt was fired. Andy Dickerson was hired to replace Callahan. The changes were a disaster.

Dorsey was supposed to deliver the type of offense Watson wanted — one with more choice routes between the quarterback and receivers, more shotgun formations and more freedom. None of it worked, partly because Watson never looked like the same quarterback he was in Houston.

The Browns failed to score 20 points in any Watson start this season. They averaged 4 yards per play with him, the lowest mark in the league for any quarterback who made at least five starts, according to TruMedia. It was the third-lowest output by any Browns quarterback who made at least five starts in a season since the team returned to the league in 1999. Only Charlie Frye and Doug Pederson had worse production.

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A Browns season filled with disappointment finally comes to an end

The line under Dickerson struggled with injuries and protections. Watson was sacked 33 times in his seven starts, although he did little to help himself. He consistently missed getting proper depth in the pocket — when he was supposed to drop 8 yards, he was only getting 6, according to two players with knowledge of the Browns’ offensive schemes. Watson continually ran into his linemen on sacks because he was standing in places they didn’t expect him to be.

What isn’t clear is how much Watson’s struggles can be attributed to the shoulder injury he suffered in 2023. A displaced fracture to the glenoid bone ended his season after six games. It was a common injury among baseball pitchers, but much rarer in quarterbacks, leaving the team with no way of knowing when or whether a full recovery was possible.

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At the start of a late August practice, all four Browns quarterbacks went through a standard footwork and accuracy drill that generally ends with each quarterback hearing a color on command from an assistant coach and firing passes toward a net with various colors marked above the targets. But with the early portion of practice open to reporters and cameras, it was odd to see Watson throwing passes to an equipment staffer nearby while the other three quarterbacks tried to hit the net targets.

One rival executive who spoke with Browns officials before the start of the season was concerned about what lay ahead for them.

“Not an ounce of positivity about the offense,” the executive said. “The vibes aren’t exactly high.”

Watson routinely missed open receivers. Passes in the opener against the Dallas Cowboys sailed 5 yards out of bounds. In a September loss to the New York Giants, the Browns ran a slant/out combo route on a run-pass option on a key fourth down late in the game. Tight end Jordan Akins was open in the flat, but Watson didn’t see him and was stopped short of the first down on a keeper. At his weekly media availability three days later, Watson said Akins was “a decoy” on that play and not an intended receiver.

“We all saw the same things,” one player said. “We all watch the film. Guys are open.”

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According to multiple players, those mistakes weren’t pointed out in film sessions, frustrating at least a few veterans who believed Stefanski wouldn’t criticize Watson in front of the team. When Jameis Winston replaced Watson after he tore his Achilles in October, players said Stefanski returned to pointing out the quarterback’s mistakes in film sessions.

Off the field, Watson spent the year dealing with traumatic personal matters. His agent, David Mulugheta, received a disturbing email in June from someone threatening to shoot Watson or burn down his house, according to a police report obtained by The Athletic. Police later closed the investigation with no suspects identified.

In the week leading up to the season opener, Watson’s father and a college teammate died within a span of a few days.

“There are other things that are bigger than this,” Watson said. “It’s been a long week … it wasn’t even really about football.”

Watson faced a new civil lawsuit during the season alleging he sexually assaulted a woman in 2020. The suit was quickly settled, and the league closed a brief investigation citing insufficient evidence. That’s how it has gone for Watson in Cleveland. He has settled more than 20 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct since he arrived from Houston. He served an 11-game suspension and paid a $5 million fine for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

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If this is the end of his Browns career, his three-year tenure in Cleveland will conclude with a 61 percent completion rate, 3,365 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and more settled lawsuits than games played. Watson’s EPA (expected points added) per dropback with the Browns was -0.19, according to TruMedia, which ranks 197th out of 201 NFL quarterbacks since 2000 (minimum 15 starts). The only quarterbacks who were worse: Zach Wilson (2021-24 New York Jets), John Skelton (2010-12 Arizona Cardinals), Blaine Gabbert (2011-13 Jacksonville Jaguars) and JaMarcus Russell (2007-09 Raiders). Watson is the only name on that list who wasn’t on a rookie deal.

Players told me there was a constant heaviness surrounding Watson in the locker room and that they felt a different energy in the building upon his departure after his Achilles injury in October. A couple of veterans told me it felt like a cloud had been lifted.

Dorsey and Dickerson were fired the day after the season ended. Former tight ends coach Tommy Rees, promoted to offensive coordinator Tuesday, will likely be tasked with helping Stefanski return to the wide zone, play-action scheme again in 2025. The Browns enter draft season perfectly positioned to select a new quarterback if they choose.

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Earlier this month, Bailey Zappe became the 40th quarterback to start a game for the Browns since they returned to the NFL in 1999, a shocking number for a team that has never enjoyed stability at the most important position. Watson was supposed to change all of that. Instead, those within the Browns had privately made clear they were moving on from him even before he reinjured his Achilles. Watson tore it for a second time when he rolled his ankle while in Miami, according to the team, and had a second surgery to repair it last week.

Because Cleveland still owes him in excess of $170 million against its cap sheet, the Browns were expected to carry him on the 2025 roster before the reinjury. At the very least, the second Achilles tear means they could place him on injured reserve so he isn’t consuming a spot on the 53-man roster. In addition, Cleveland can get insurance relief against his salary and a portion of the cap hit on the $92 million still owed to him.

The image of Watson being carted off the field with a towel draped over his head while a smattering of Browns fans cheered is a painful reminder of how messy the Watson era has been. Three years after handing out the richest guaranteed contract in NFL history, the Browns are back in the quarterback market.

The Athletic’s Zac Jackson and Katie Strang contributed to this report.

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(Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)

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