The Cleveland Browns are coaching in the 2017 Senior Bowl, but one popular player will not be in attendance.
For months now, the Cleveland Browns and the rest of the NFL have scouted hundreds of players. At events such as the Senior Bowl, interactions between teams and players are just as important. Teams can confirm things about a player or get a better feel for a player if given the opportunity to coach in the game.
One would think any chance that is presented to a player to impress NFL teams that they should take it right? Well, yeah, but that is not the case with Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King via his Monday Morning Quarterback column, Cleveland asked Watson to be part of the Senior Bowl, but he declined. Watson, like other eligible players for the Senior Bowl are allowed to say no, but that does not make his decision right.
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There is no clear cut, unanimous top quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft. Now, Cleveland could choose a quarterback early, but they could also wait till day two or three. Regardless, this was a great chance to be front in center of the Browns’ attention for a whole week!
On one hand, Watson just got done with his season and there is no need to risk getting injured. Opinions of himself as well as other declared signal-callers vary across the board quite a bit. The Senior Bowl, among other events are some of the best chances to improve one’s draft stock. Not doing so is definitely risky.
On the other hand, given Cleveland’s need for better play, why wouldn’t he want to work with the Browns this week? There is no guarantee Cleveland will draft him, but Watson would have worked with Hue Jackson and that is valuable as he preps for the NFL.
Getting Watson to play would given the Browns coaching staff the best chance in determining if they can or are willing to work with him. All in all, this is a big deal.
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There are too many holes in Watson’s style of play to say that he is going to be a star. Watson could be, but the chances are the same that he could be a bust or simply a career backup.
This is not a good look for Watson. Winning a championship is impressive, but there is so much more in determining one’s potential in the NFL. There are so many quarterbacks over the years who have won championships and other awards but ended up doing nothing in the NFL.
Cleveland could have already or will fall for Watson. I take that possibility with a grain of salt.
Yes, it would have been great for both parties to have Watson in the Senior Bowl, but that did not happen. This was part of the interview process and he failed.
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Had Watson been a sure thing regarding the quarterback position in the draft, this would not have been an issue, but it is. Hopefully the Browns realize Watson being part of their organization is not the best fit for them.