May 16: ESPN obtained text messages and a recording which show a member of Buzbee’s team approaching a member of Watson’s team to discuss “working things out,” as Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com writes. Buzbee, for his part, has said that he is the only person at his firm that has the authority to discuss a settlement.
May 14: Earlier this week, the lawyer representing 22 women suing Deshaun Watson criticized the NFL’s conduct during interviews with some of his clients. As a result, Tony Buzbee says he might advise against more of his clients to avoid speaking with the league. Meanwhile, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says league has handled the investigation appropriately. 
“The allegations are very concerning and the league immediately began investigating the matter under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy,” McCarthy said (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX26). “The investigation includes gathering information, monitoring law enforcement developments and conducting interviews with relevant people willing to participate with counsel present.”
McCarthy also went to bat for investigation lead Lisa Friel.
“Throughout her decades-long career as the chief of the sex crimes unit in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and most recently as the NFL’s special counsel for investigations for the last six years, Lisa has earned a stellar reputation as a consummate professional who conducts investigations and interviews with compassion and fairness in an effort to determine the truth,” said McCarthy.
Meanwhile, Buzbee and Watson attorney Rusty Hardin continue to exchange comments through the media. Recently, Hardin claimed that Buzbee approached him about a settlement, though the Texans QB won’t consider it unless “the terms are made public and all participants are allowed to speak in their own defense at all times,” (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In response, Buzbee took to Instagram and denied ever seeking a settlement.
Settlement or no settlement, Watson’s availability for the coming season probably won’t be clarified for some time.
This whole article was a waste of time and pointless.
Which is why you felt a comment was necessary?
The NFL will immediately form a committee to nominate a panel that will elect a employee conduct czar to look into the actions of their special investigator. That czar will report to a troika that will condense the report and inform the commissioner of its findings. The commissioner will then do whatever he wants.
LOL!!!!!
Impressive.
Well played!
Wow! That is……exactly right!
The NFL has done nothing wrong according to the NFL. What are they supposed to do if a guy has a predisposition to violent sexual assault.
No more cheerleaders tho, cuz of equality.
Olivia Benson is on the case…
All these media statements by Buzbee should’ve led to an appearance before the Conduct and/or Character & Fitness Committees.
As far as the entire situation, for everyone involved, I can only hope it results in a … happy ending
Thank you! Thank you!
You’ve been a beautiful audience!
I’m here all week!
Don’t forget to tip your server!
Longest Yard 3
Did the Texans really not know about 20+ charges coming down on Watson? If so, the entire front office should be fired. They were adamant about not trading him when reports were around 3-4 high picks and players; now what one 1st & a player?
There is no trading him now…ain’t gonna happen. No team is going to give anything of value unless this issue is resolved in his favor, and the Texans aren’t going to trade him for a bag of peanuts. Right now he’s like a lottery ticket in the Texans hands…no point in selling it for $1 or $2 when it could be worth millions, despite how high or low the odds of that happening are
Everything will be settled. He’ll sit 6 some odd weeks, do a PSA about ‘caring for women’, & be in a new uniform before 2021 is over.
This is a tricky case. So many women have spoken in his defense. And early on several of the alleged victims wanted money. Have any criminal charges been filed?
Criminal charges-not as of right now. The police only began their investigation (that we know of) in the last month or so. So that will take a while since they have to independently gather their own information and working so far behind the timing of the actual incidents.
As for the Texans, who knows. They probably knew Deshaun’s habits, but maybe not the extent of them or maybe it got lost in their leadership shuffle. Normally a team would anticipate this I suppose, but Buzbee has managed to keep a rather tight lid on all of his clients, and he seems to have found them himself. None of them spoke or identified themselves independently until Buzbee announced that they would, so it seems that the information could have been quiet until they were ready to initiate. So it could be plausible that the Texans heard about this when we all did, due to their own leadership struggles and Buzbee’s ability to keep the information quiet.
The cops move like snails. Could be 2 years before they make a decision on whether or not to press charges
Agree. They won’t move forward unless there is a chance of conviction, which is tough in a he-said, she-said case.
Don’t jump to any conclusions, people. For or against Watson, that is. That’s the whole purpose of each of lawyers’ public soliloquys. The only certainty is that someone-or rather, everyone-is not telling the whole truth.
As for the current information about the possible settlement offer from Buzbee, he needs to either publicly fire whomever did that and draw attention to it, say that the person is not affiliated with him and was lying about that affiliation, or just admit that he authorized a subordinate at his firm to begin discussing a settlement.
Agreed. There is no way in he** a high profile attorney is sending some lackey to negotiate a settlement on a case as huge as this. Someone is most likely full of it, and probably just looking to get their own name publicized or has some other vested interest in increasing the public fervor in this case
So Hardin gave this “evidence” to ESPN to ding Buzbee. If I were Buzbee I’d leave another message – “the price for a settlement is now twice what it was yesterday”.