Mark Madden: Browns' decision to sign Deshaun Watson looks worse every day

JuJu Smith-Schuster hasn’t said much of consequence. But he reinforced one obvious truism: “The Browns is the Browns.”

No sports team has ever made a dumber decision than giving quarterback Deshaun Watson a contract worth $230 million guaranteed and sending six draft picks the other way, three of them first-rounders. Watson’s sexual misconduct lawsuits continue to multiply. His status for playing anytime soon is in grave and deserved doubt. The Browns defecated on Baker Mayfield, who was doing good if not great.

Mayfield has a year left on his contract with Cleveland. Do the Browns have the unmitigated gall to ask him to play in Watson’s prolonged absence? What would he say?

He should tell them to stuff it. Mayfield hasn’t justified his status as the NFL Draft’s first pick overall in 2018, but that’s the Browns’ fault for overrating him.

But Mayfield gave the Browns stability at quarterback for the first time since they re-entered the NFL in 1999. He beat the Steelers in a playoff game. He played hurt last season when a lot wouldn’t.

Mayfield deserved better, and now the Browns don’t.

Stupid is in the Browns’ DNA. You get employed by that franchise, your IQ immediately plummets. It’s an absolute joke.

Houston and Watson had no leverage. But the Browns overpaid in every way possible. (To be fair, several other teams also were standing in line.)

There was no logical reason to acquire and sign Watson before he’s clear of his trouble in Houston. It doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon. A cheap, ham-fisted attempt to settle the suits (there are now 24) by offering a measly $100,000 each didn’t work. The deal included a comprehensive non-disclosure agreement.

If Ben Roethlisberger got suspended four games in 2010 for two accusations of sexual misconduct, how should the NFL discipline Watson? Do the math. Roethlisberger got four games. Watson should get 48.

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When will the NFL rule? This has been dragging. Watson didn’t play last year because of the shadow cast by the situation. It’s easy to picture Watson not playing at all this year, too.

The Browns likely have ruined their 2022 season. That opens a window for the Steelers (drum roll) to finish third in the AFC North. No better.

Mayfield has had his career badly disrupted. He’s not an All-Pro, but he is a clear-cut starter and among the NFL’s top 20 quarterbacks. He’s got a contract but no place to play. Mayfield deserves better.

Watson deserves nothing. But he’s going to get paid regardless. He got a $44 million signing bonus, but his base salary for ’22 is just $1 million, making his contract suspension-proof. The NFL should see through that and take more via a flat fine. (The NFL Players Association would appeal. Good. Let them endure the awkwardness of defending Watson.)

The big winner is Houston. The Texans got out from under on so many levels.

But the big story is how amazingly imbecilic the Browns are. (Although Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, is about as dumb. He said that sexual activity during massages isn’t illegal if nobody is compensated for them. Hardin then said he wasn’t talking specifically about his client’s case. Whose case were you referring to, dummy? Robert Kraft’s?)

Peter King called Watson’s acquisition an “absolute, total disgrace” and “the distraction that keeps on distracting.” I defer to America’s best football writer.