Former Browns executive Paul DePodesta reflects on polarizing Deshaun Watson trade: 'We all own that'

Paul DePodesta brought his analytics strategies and expertise to the Cleveland Browns successful 2016 erstwhile helium was named the franchise's main strategy officer. 

DePodesta started a caller section past week erstwhile helium was named president of shot operations for the Colorado Rockies.

He has familiarity with the MLB, having antecedently worked for the then-Cleveland Indians, the Oakland Athletics and the New York Mets. DePodesta besides spent a fewer seasons arsenic the Los Angeles Dodgers' wide manager. Amid his instrumentality to an MLB beforehand office, DePodesta reflected connected 1 of the much notable moves helium helped orchestrate during his stint with the Browns – the blockbuster commercialized for Deshaun Watson.

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Cleveland Browns main strategy serviceman Paul DePodesta, left, talks with managing and main spouse Jimmy Haslam earlier a crippled against the Philadelphia Eagles astatine FirstEnergy Stadium connected Aug. 21, 2022, successful Cleveland. (Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports)

Watson has appeared successful conscionable 19 games successful the 3 years since helium inked an unprecedented, afloat guaranteed $230 cardinal declaration soon aft the Houston Texans agreed to nonstop him to Cleveland successful 2022. The 32 games Watson missed were owed to either suspension oregon injury.

BROWNS' DESHAUN WATSON ADDRESSES CRITICS, VOWS TO RETURN FROM LATEST INJURY 'WAY BETTER THAN BEFORE'

The determination continues to look criticism, with galore seeking to delegate blasted to 1 oregon much of the Browns’ decision-makers. DePodesta offered immoderate context, recalling the determination to commercialized for Watson arsenic a corporate choice.

Cleveland Browns backmost Deshaun Watson, center, poses for a representation with wide manager Andrew Berry, left, and manager Kevin Stefanski during Watson's introductory quality league connected March 26, 2022, astatine the Browns grooming installation successful Berea, Ohio. (Jeff Lange/USA TODAY Network/ USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)

"Here’s what I would say, and I genuinely judge this," DePodesta told The Denver Post.  "I judge that astir of the decisions, particularly the large ones similar that, are organizational decisions, right?  I'm not a believer successful the 'King Scout' concern wherever determination is 1 feline who makes each call… The jobs are excessively complex, the decisions are excessively hard. They interaction excessively galore antithetic things. So I ever deliberation these benignant of corporate decisions, it tin beryllium hard to get unanimous [opinions] connected those types of things.  Everyone who was a portion of that? We each ain that. We conscionable do, that's portion of the deal."

Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta of the Cleveland Browns walks onto the tract anterior to a crippled astatine FedEx Field connected Oct. 2, 2016, successful Landover, Md. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

The NFL suspended Watson for 11 games successful 2022, but a enarthrosis wounded chopped the quarterback's play abbreviated successful 2023. Last October, Watson was sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Watson past re-injured the aforesaid tendon successful January. The latest setback has sidelined the three-time Pro Bowler for each of this play truthful far, but Watson pushed backmost against that timetable.

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"Everyone is doubting me. Everyone don't judge successful me," Watson said successful a video posted to his Instagram relationship successful April showing him moving out. "Everyone don't deliberation I tin get backmost to wherever I was. But I know, and I judge the enactment that I enactment in, that I judge successful myself... I cognize I'm gonna beryllium mode amended than before."

The 30-year-old added to his comeback statement by saying helium doesn't "have thing beauteous overmuch to lose."

Watson has thrown 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions successful a Browns uniform. He finished his five-year stint with the Texans with 104 touchdowns against 36 interceptions.

Those awesome numbers came implicit conscionable 4 seasons connected the shot field. Watson was ruled retired of each crippled during the 2021 play pursuing a commercialized request, which yet led to a standoff betwixt the backmost and the team.

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