Money isn’t everything… until it’s the only thing. You don’t trade a yacht to buy a dinghy unless you’re drowning. And in Cleveland, the Browns aren’t just drowning (financially) — they’re doing cannonballs into the abyss. The 2025 NFL Draft was supposed to be Cleveland’s redemption arc. Instead, they traded the No. 2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a bag of magic beans and a Watson prayer.

“They needed to reset and rebuild the guts of the roster,” Albert Breer told Rich Eisen, trying to put a polite spin on it. But let’s be real: this was a white flag dipped in Baker Mayfield’s leftover Dawg Pound tears. Why? Blame Deshaun Watson’s $230M anchor — a contract so toxic, it makes ‘Love Island’ breakups look wholesome.

Let’s rewind. In 2022, the Browns bet the farm on Watson, shipping three first-rounders to the Houston Texans for a quarterback whose Achilles tendons now have the durability of wet paper towels. Fast-forward: Watson’s played 12 games in three years, and his cap hit ($36.9M in 2025) strangles Cleveland’s roster like a boa constrictor in a turtleneck.

“Cleveland’s move says, ‘We’re not a player away,’ ” Breer admitted. “They needed to reset.” Translation: Watson’s deal left them aging, broke, and desperate. They had to prioritize getting multiple players for gap positions over landing the brightest available prospects. Trading down from No. 2 to No. 5? That’s not strategy — it’s survival. The Browns snagged Mason Graham (DT, Michigan) at No. 5 and picked up a 2026 first-rounder for their trouble. They also grabbed Carson Suessinger (CB) and Quinshon Judkins (RB) early in the second round — all solid players. But in the words of Eisen: “You don’t throw a challenge flag and overturn the first 13 picks.” The damage was already done.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars were lurking like hyenas. They pounced on Travis Hunter — the two-way unicorn from Colorado — pairing him with Trevor Lawrence to create nightmare fuel for AFC defenses. “Jacksonville’s betting on what they’ve built,” Breer said, comparing the move to the Los Angeles Rams‘ old all-in trades. Except, as Breer dryly noted, “the Rams already had a history of winning.”

For the Jaguars, this is glory days vibes. For Cleveland? Groundhog Day, with less Bill Murray and more Myles Garrett side-eyeing the quarterback room.

Cleveland’s QB Carousel: From Watson to… Shedeur Sanders?

Let’s talk QB chaos. Watson’s latest Achilles snap means Kenny Pickett—fully aware of reports that the Browns aren’t interested in picking up his fifth-year rookie contract option for 2026—is now QB1. Behind him? Joe Flacco (grandpa chic), Shedeur Sanders — the fifth-round pick who somehow out-earned Watson in college via $6.5M in NIL deals, and Dillon Gabriel (who turned heads mostly for being picked ahead of Sanders).

“Shedeur’s impressed early,” insiders whisper, but let’s not kid ourselves: this isn’t a competition. It’s a Hunger Games reboot where everyone’s armed with a clipboard. Meanwhile, Watson’s ghost haunts the facility, his contract sucking the air out of the room like a Dyson vacuum. The irony? Cleveland’s 2024 draft haul — including Judkins and Dylan Sampson (RB, Tennessee) — feels like stocking a minibar while the house burns down. But hey, at least they’re fun on Twitter.

Cleveland’s brass will swear this is a “strategic reset.” Translation: They’re kicking the can to 2026, hoping Watson’s $60M insurance payout and a loaded ’26 QB class (Arch Manning, anyone?) save them. Maybe Shedeur becomes the next Tom Brady. Maybe Watson heals like Wolverine. Or maybe Cleveland remains the NFL’s favorite cautionary tale — a $230M reminder that money talks, but trophies walk.

‘This isn’t tragedy. It’s content.’ And in Cleveland? The content’s spicy.