ORLANDO, FLA. — The Browns are two years and a week removed from making the trade to acquire quarterback Deshaun Watson .
What the Browns hoped they were getting when they acquired Watson from the Houston Texans was the version who went to three Pro Bowls with the Texans. What they have gotten from him is a quarterback who has missed 23 out of a possible 35 games, counting last season's playoffs, due to either suspension or injury.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, like everyone else in the organization, has had to ride the wave of the player to whom so much of their own reputation has been connected. As he spoke Monday morning at the NFL owners meetings inside the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla., he reiterated the biggest thing for Watson isn't his ability, but his availability
"I've seen it from Deshaun, we've seen it from Deshaun," Stefanski said Monday. "Don't have to look very far or don't have to look back too far. Look at that second half versus Baltimore . I mean, that's as gutty a performance as it comes with what he's able to accomplish on a bad ankle with a bad shoulder.
"Just the plays that he's made for us over these years, I've seen it from him. So yeah, of course, keeping him healthy, keeping him on the field is really important. And he wants that too. He's so competitive, so he's really attacking this rehab so he's ready to go ASAP."
Watson's last moment on the field for the Browns was that second half in a Week 10 game at the Baltimore Ravens . Despite suffering a high ankle sprain and, at some point, a broken glenoid in his shoulder, he went 14-of-14 for 134 yards and a touchdown in the final two quarters to lead Cleveland , which trailed by as much as 15 points in the second half, to a 33-31 win.
Three days after that stunning comeback, even more stunning news dropped. Watson was going to be having season-ending shoulder surgery, leaving him with essentially just five-and-a-quarter games played after having only played six the previous season because of suspension.
Watson's journey back took a step forward last week when he began throwing for the first time since the Nov. 21. injury. He was joined in Los Angeles by his personal quarterbacks coach Quincy Avery, as well as Browns tight end David Njoku .
"He's right where he needs to be. He has started throwing," Stefanski said. "Joe Sheehan, our trainer, went out and supervised his throwing. We'll see him in April and we'll just continue that rehab. I'll stay out of it and the doctors and trainers will tell me when he's ready. I know he's doing a great job."
Where the Browns need him to be is on the field whenever they open the regular season, be it Sept. 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paolo, Brazil — as has been rumored but not confirmed — or a few days later against someone else. Not even being on the field when offseason training activities (OTAs) will be as critical as that, although it's certainly important with a new offensive scheme being implemented.
The Browns signed a pair of QBs in free agency who have NFL starting experience: former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and former Ravens backup Tyler Huntley . Stefanski said Monday those moves were not in response to last season, which he called 'unique,' when the Browns ended up starting five quarterbacks: Watson, Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker , Joe Flacco and Jeff Driskel .
Stefanski and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey went to Los Angeles the first week in March to meet with Watson, a visit which lasted about 24 hours according to Stefanski. However, the quarterback and the offensive coordinator have spoken regularly since that meeting, as Dorsey tries to keep him in the loop.
The next step to that, however, will be to get Watson on the field operating the offense. Stefanski doesn't foresee that being an issue.
"I think you challenge them every year with something new," Stefanski said. "And that's why I'm not beholden to one terminology or one way. I think if you feel like there's a better way of doing it, you do it and then you make sure that the players understand that it's their job to get up to speed.
"So, I don't know if there's going to be a huge learning curve for any of our players, but there is going to be some new things that we're doing. New things in how we're calling it, how we're teaching some of our techniques. So, it is something that will challenge them as they get back."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kevin Stefanski acknowledges good health critical for Deshaun Watson
