NFL Push For Year-Long Deshaun Watson Ban Ended Settlement Talks
Disciplinary officer Sue Robinson will hear arguments from the NFL, NFLPA and Deshaun Watson‘s camp Tuesday. That will precede an initial decision on the punishment, if any, the veteran quarterback will receive ahead of his first Browns season.
But the NFL or NFLPA can appeal Robinson’s verdict. That appeal would be decided by the league, which is believed to be pushing for a significant suspension. The league and the union entered settlement talks about a Watson punishment earlier this month, but those negotiations broke down. The NFL’s push for a year-long Watson ban is believed to have led to the parties shutting down the settlement talks, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.
The NFL has met with several of the women who have accused Watson of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault, and the league will focus on five of those cases when it makes its case to Robinson, Breer hears. The five accusers with the most evidence to include in a presentation — from texts to social media messages to payment records, etc. — will be prioritized, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com notes.
The league has been connected to pushing for an indefinite suspension of Watson — one the Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Beaton notes would be for at least a year. This would help give the NFL an avenue to keep Watson suspended into 2023 based on new civil lawsuits. This would stop the league from having to suspend Watson twice, a prospect that was loosely floated earlier this offseason. The league has also spoken with women who did not sue the quarterback, Breer adds.
A civil suit against the Texans surfaced Monday. It came from one of the four women who has not settled her own suit against the former Houston quarterback. The lawsuit against Watson’s former team reopens the door to additional suits against him.
“It is now known that in many of Watson’s multiple massage interactions, more than massage therapy occurred — indeed, with at least thirty different women, the ‘more’ that occurred included unwanted sexual advances and outright sexual assault by Watson,” the suit states, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “Each of those thirty-plus women, most of which are complete strangers to one another, experienced strikingly similar conduct from Watson.”
Twenty of the QB’s 24 accusers have settled. More women coming forward with accusations would put the proceedings in a murky place, if Robinson’s decision and/or an appeal lead to Watson not receiving an indefinite suspension.
Unsigned Second-Rounders Pushing For Additional Guarantees
While all 32 first-round picks have signed their rookie contracts, most of the players chosen just after this group have not. The first player in this draft sector to sign — Texans safety Jalen Pitre, the No. 37 overall pick — has created an issue for other teams to navigate.
Only 17 of this year’s 32 second-round picks have signed their four-year deals. That includes just two of the first 11 players chosen in the round. Pitre receiving three fully guaranteed years on his deal looks to have led to the slowdown here, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes.
The NFLPA has made steady gains on the guaranteed front. Last year, only seven second-rounders received even a partial Year 3 salary guarantee. Only the first two picks in that round — the Jaguars’ Tyson Campbell and the Jets’ Elijah Moore — secured three fully guaranteed years. Last year’s No. 37 overall pick (Eagles guard Landon Dickerson) received only 40.72% of his third year guaranteed, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Pitre’s 100% guaranteed has almost certainly called for the players drafted in that vicinity to ask for the same setup.
Titans cornerback Roger McCreary (No. 35), Jets running back Breece Hall (No. 36) and Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie (No. 38) are unsigned. Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (No. 39), however, did agree on his rookie deal. How Chicago sorted his guarantees should have an impact on the unsigned players shortly after that draft slot (Seahawks edge Boye Mafe, Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker Jr., Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth and Giants wideout Wan’Dale Robinson). The Texans gave No. 44 overall pick John Metchie two years fully guaranteed and 56% of third year guaranteed. No. 46 overall pick Josh Paschal received a partial third year guaranteed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Only seven second-rounders saw any third-year guarantees last year.
The Texans can be credited with injecting some drama into a fairly routine process, and Pitre’s three guaranteed years illustrates the gains the players’ side has made since the 2011 draft reshaped rookie contracts. Only 21 first-rounders that year received fully guaranteed deals. This year, all 32 did. Every second-rounder should also receive two fully guaranteed years, with the Broncos doing so for the final pick in that round — edge Nik Bonitto.
First Deshaun Watson-Linked Case Filed Against Texans
The Deshaun Watson situation is set to begin its next phase tomorrow, but there has also been a significant development in another aspect of the ongoing saga. Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing Watson’s accusers, has issued a statement that the first case against the Texans related to Watson’s alleged sexual misconduct has been filed (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jake Trotter). Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today reports that the suit is being filed by one of the women suing Watson who has yet to settle her case against him. 
The statement indicates that this case is “the first of what will likely be many” filed against the team. “Suffice it to say,” it continues, “the overwhelming evidence collected indicating that the Houston Texans enabled Watson’s behavior is incredibly damning. We believe the Texans knew or most certainly should have known of Watson’s conduct.”
It came out earlier this month that Watson’s former employer would be included in the litigation he is facing. The Texans are being brought into focus as a result of their alleged actions to facilitate Watson’s message sessions, including providing him accommodation at the Houstonian Hotel as well as non-disclosure agreements to bring to those sessions. The timing of these alleged actions (which are detailed in the New York Times report that shed further light on the scope of Watson’s behavior) is significant, as the suit argues that the Texans were aware of Watson soliciting massages online as early as June 2020 (Twitter link via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports).
Per USA Today’s Josina Anderson, (on Twitter), the Texans have released a statement in response to today’s development: “We are aware of the lawsuit filed against us today. Since March 2021, we have fully supported and complied with law enforcement and the various investigations. We will continue to take the necessary steps to address the allegations against our organization.”
As Trotter illustrates, the new suit also contradicts the Browns’ claims of conducting due diligence on Watson before agreeing to trade for and extend him (Twitter link). It has already been reported that the Browns are not looking to void the 26-year-old’s deal, leaving them fully committed to him, even if he is suspended for the 2022 campaign.
More will be learned on that front as early as tomorrow, but regardless of the punishment handed down to Watson individually, the Texans are apparently in line for a significant legal battle of their own.
AFC South Rumors: Jordan, Titans, Shenault, Radunz
After allowing tight end Jordan Akins to walk in free agency, the Texans are expected to turn to second-year tight end Brevin Jordan to lead the position-group in 2022, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.
Pharaoh Brown started the most games of any tight end on the roster last year but mostly serves as the team’s primary run-blocking tight end. Jordan, though, has seemingly passed Brown on the depth chart in the passing game as he looks to make a big leap during his second year in Houston.
Last season, Jordan caught 20 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns, comparable with Brown’s 23 receptions for 171 yards. Jordan will look to improve those numbers in his sophomore season. The former Miami Hurricane is set up nicely to do so as the newly re-signed Antony Auclair and newly drafted Oregon State rookie Teagan Quitoriano are, like Brown, both well-known for their blocking abilities.
Here are a few more rumors from around the AFC South, starting with a rumor out of Nashville:
- In a report on the future of Titans linebacker David Long Jr., Terry McCormick of Titan Insider made an interesting claim that, after claiming linebacker Zach Cunningham off of waivers from the Texans in December, Tennessee didn’t feel pressed at all to re-sign former first-round pick Rashaan Evans. This may be mainly due to how Tennessee values the inside linebacker position. Evans, now with the Falcons, had started 39 games, only missing one week of football in his first three seasons, when the Titans declined his fifth-year option. Evans’ best season came in 2019 with his stats falling slightly in 2020. An injury-affected 2021 season sealed his fate in Tennessee as they let him walk in free agency.
- After bringing in wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones on big money deals, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco reports that Jacksonville still has wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. in their plans. Shenault has stayed consistent over his first two years in the league catching 58 balls for 600 yards as a rookie and 63 passes for 619 yards in his second season. The big difference was in his touchdown totals as he went from five touchdown catches in 2020 to zero in 2021. The Jaguars also like to use Shenault sparingly in the running game, which might be where Shenault’s role lies in the future: as a dual-threat offensive weapon alongside running back Travis Etienne. If not, he’ll be competing for snaps with Kirk, Jones, and Marvin Jones Jr. in the receiving game.
- According to Turron Davenport of ESPN, rookie offensive lineman out of North Dakota State Dillon Radunz is expected to earn the starting right tackle job in Tennessee. While the position group still has some question marks, the second-round rookie is set to bookend the line opposite veteran Taylor Lewan. This leaves Jamarco Jones, Ben Jones, Nate Davis, Aaron Brewer, and others to compete over the three inside positions over training camp and the preseason as the Titans look to cement their offensive line.
Texans' Lovie Smith Receives Fine
- Although Lovie Smith‘s fine did not match the penalties handed out to Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera, the new Texans HC will lose $50K because of an OTA violation, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. This stems from a use of a prohibited drill involving linemen.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/17/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: QB Kurt Benkert
Houston Texans
- Waived: RB Scottie Phillips
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Chris Lammons, WR Aaron Parker
- Waived: CB Luq Barcoo
- Waived (injury-designation): WR Matthew Sexton
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Darryl Williams
New York Giants
- Received two-game suspension: LB Justin Hilliard
Benkert spent the 2021 season with the Packers, after three years with the Falcons. He was signed just over one year ago to provide insurance with the future of Aaron Rodgers in doubt, and Jordan Love as the only other signal-caller on the roster. He made one regular season appearance, but with Rodgers now signed to an extension and Love still under contract for at least two more years, the team is less in need of the 26-year-old this year.
Hilliard’s ban comes as a result of PED usage (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). The former UDFA tweeted an explanation, stating that he mistakenly took the wrong prescription medication, and that he will not appeal the suspension. The Ohio State alum played in two games with the Giants last season, logging 15 special teams snaps. This news will weaken what was already, as Schwartz notes, his tenuous grip on a 53-man roster spot.
Poll: Which AFC Team Had Best Offseason?
Due to a flurry of additions, the 2022 AFC presents a crowded competition for playoff and Super Bowl LVII access. Some of the top-tier teams addressed key weaknesses, and several middle-class squads took big swings in respective aims to improve their chances this season.
The fallout paints a picture in which barely any AFCers can be truly counted out for playoff contention. Future Hall of Famers, potential Canton inductees, and Pro Bowlers moving from the NFC — along with various intra-AFC changes — have made for one of the most captivating offseasons in modern NFL annals. While the offseason is not yet complete, most of the acquisition dominoes ahead of training camp have fallen. Which team did the best work?
With Russell Wilson joining the Broncos, the AFC West’s Wilson-Patrick Mahomes–Derek Carr–Justin Herbert quartet appears of the great quarterback armadas any division has fielded in the five-plus-decade divisional era. The Broncos gave up two first-round selections in a five-pick deal but were able to hang onto their young receivers. Denver, which moved to a younger coaching staff headed by first-time HC Nathaniel Hackett and two rookie coordinators, also added defenders Randy Gregory and D.J. Jones. Going from the Teddy Bridgewater–Drew Lock combo to Wilson represents one of the top gains any team made this offseason, but Denver’s divisional competition will not make improvement easy.
Entering the final year in which Herbert must be tied to his rookie contract, the Chargers addressed several needs. They added defensive help in free agency, via J.C. Jackson and Sebastian Joseph-Day, and traded second- and sixth-round picks for Khalil Mack. The team also extended Mike Williams at $20MM per year — days before the wide receiver market dramatically shifted — and drafted right guard Zion Johnson in Round 1.
The Raiders were partially responsible for the wideout market’s explosion, trading first- and second-round picks for Davante Adams and extending him at $28MM per year. That came shortly after the team’s Chandler Jones addition. Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler regime has greenlit extensions for Reggie McKenzie– and Jon Gruden-era holdovers — from Carr to Maxx Crosby to Hunter Renfrow. Will a Darren Waller deal follow?
Of last season’s conference kingpins, the Chiefs and Titans endured the biggest losses. Hill and Tyrann Mathieu‘s exits will test the six-time reigning AFC West champs, while last year’s No. 1 seed balked at a monster A.J. Brown extension by trading him to the Eagles for a package headlined by a 2022 first-rounder. Both teams did address some needs early in the draft, but the Bengals and Bills look to have definitively improved their rosters.
Cincinnati augmented its bottom-tier offensive line by signing La’el Collins, Alex Cappa and Ted Karras. The defending AFC champions retained almost their entire defense, though Jessie Bates is not especially happy on the franchise tag. Buffalo reloaded as well, adding Von Miller to a defensive line that has lacked a top-end pass rusher for a while. The team swapped out ex-UDFA Levi Wallace for first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam, and James Cook is the Bills’ highest running back draftee since C.J. Spiller 12 years ago. How significant will the Brian Daboll-for-Ken Dorsey OC swap be?
Although Cincy’s AFC North competition made improvements, some caveats come with them. The Ravens filled their center and right tackle spots, with first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum and veteran Morgan Moses, and are now flush with safeties following the arrivals of Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton. But Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson situation has reached a strange stage, with the top three Ravens power brokers indicating the former MVP has not shown extension interest. Cleveland landed Amari Cooper for Day 3 draft capital and, on paper, rivaled Denver’s QB upgrade. Historic draft compensation and a shocking $230MM guarantee was required for the Browns to pull it off. But their Deshaun Watson trade has generated considerable drama — to the point the ex-Texans Pro Bowler cannot be considered a lock to play in 2022.
Oddsmakers do not expect the Jaguars’ moves to translate to 2022 contention, but the team did hire a former Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson and spend wildly for lineup upgrades — from Christian Kirk to Brandon Scherff to Foye Oluokun — and used two first-round picks (Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd) to further upgrade its defense. Going from Urban Meyer to Pederson should offer stability to a franchise that has lacked it, never more so than in 2021.
The Jets chased big-name receivers for weeks but came away with Garrett Wilson in a highly praised three-first-rounder draft. New York’s last-ranked defense now has new pieces in first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson, along with DBs Jordan Whitehead and D.J. Reed. Miami made a stunning coaching change by firing Brian Flores, which produced a tidal wave of controversy, but the now-Mike McDaniel-led team also paid up for splashy additions in Hill and Terron Armstead while retaining steady edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah.
Are there other teams that warrant mention here? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on the new-look AFC in the comments section.
Which AFC team had the best offseason?
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Denver Broncos 13% (421)
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Las Vegas Raiders 12% (388)
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Miami Dolphins 11% (369)
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Los Angeles Chargers 10% (326)
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Cincinnati Bengals 9% (305)
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New York Jets 8% (262)
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Buffalo Bills 6% (211)
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Pittsburgh Steelers 6% (185)
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Baltimore Ravens 5% (165)
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Kansas City Chiefs 5% (163)
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Cleveland Browns 4% (137)
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Indianapolis Colts 4% (119)
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Houston Texans 2% (80)
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New England Patriots 2% (69)
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Jacksonville Jaguars 1% (35)
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Tennessee Titans 1% (23)
Total votes: 3,258
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/10/22
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Mason Schreck
- Released: TE Darrell Daniels
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: K Gabe Brkic
Schreck was a seventh round pick of the Bengals in 2017, following a productive final college season at the University of Buffalo. In his final season there, he posted a school-record 651 yards en route to All Mid-American Conference honors. Over the course of four seasons in the NFL, he has appeared in 23 games, playing almost exclusively on special teams.
Daniels, 27, has been in the league for five years. After one season with the Colts, he suited up for nine games in Seattle, ultimately being claimed off waivers by the Cardinals. He played 40 games across three-plus campaigns in Arizona, totalling 10 receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/9/22
Today’s minor moves around the league:
Houston Texans
- Released (injury settlement): S Kolby Harvell-Peel
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Caeveon Patton
- Waived: LB Jordan Glasgow, DT McKinley Williams
Miami Dolphins
- Released: CB Javaris Davis
Texans To Be Included As Defendant In Deshaun Watson Lawsuits
Deshaun Watson may be playing elsewhere, but the Texans are still very much involved in the quarterback’s ongoing legal issues. Attorney Tony Buzbee announced that he is including the Houston Texans organization in the lawsuits against Watson (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com on Twitter).
[RELATED: Latest On Browns QB Deshaun Watson]
“Based on what we have learned from the Houston Police Department, we will soon be joining the Houston Texans organization and others as defendants in the ongoing lawsuits against Deshaun Watson,” the attorney wrote in a message. “Our team has thoroughly vetted each case. We are considering many others. These women are the true heroes in this sordid story. What has become clear is that the Houston Texans organization and their contracting “massage therapy company” facilitated Deshaun Watson’s conduct. In many of these cases, the Texans provided the opportunity for this conduct to occur. We believe the Texans organization was well aware of Watson’s issues but failed to act. They knew or certainly should have known. The Houston Texans organization provided rooms for Watson at the high-end Houstonian hotel for his “massages”; the Texans also provided massage tables and other support for Watson’s proclivities – ostensibly to protect their “asset.” We intend to make sure all involved in Watson’s conduct are held accountable, in addition to and including Watson himself.”
The Texans released a statement responding to the impending lawsuit (via Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com on Twitter):
“We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident.”
Wilson also cites the organization’s statement from March of 2021, when the Texans said they only became aware of the lawsuit that month and hadn’t previously “heard of the matter.”
Buzbee’s talks with the Houston Police Department and lawsuit announcement follows yesterday’s New York Times report that Watson received massages from at least 66 women over a 17-month span from fall 2019 to spring 2021. Civil testimony included in the NYT report had Watson admitting that the Texans helped him with an nondisclosure agreement in 2020, and the player took NDAs to all future massaging sessions. The report also noted that the Texans set up Watson with a membership at the exclusive hotel that the attorney mentioned in his statement. Effectively, Buzbee is alleging that the organization either knew or should have known about Watson’s conduct before everything came to light.
The Browns QB has continued to deny any wrongdoing. The NFL has just about wrapped up their investigation, and a suspension is likely to be announced at some point in July.