On list of people who badly ne...

PHOENIX (AP) — By the conclusion of the NFL owners meetings this week, it appeared that everyone with a stake in Deshaun Watson's pro football destiny had pointed to some kind of light at the end of what seemed like an endless tunnel.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski discussed offering Watson more offensive authority and the work he'll do with teammates in Houston this offseason. General manager Andrew Berry voiced confidence in the team's chemistry, offensive skill additions, and continuity with the teaching staff and plan. Finally, after a lengthy period of silence, team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam discussed the deal.

In the list of notorious NFL business choices, the acquisition of Watson's fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract has pushed the Haslams into an incredibly questionable ownership position. It shattered the league's joint practice of never awarding such a massively one-sided contract to a player, and it caused a ripple that was felt almost instantly among the league's decision-makers. That is significant. This was not Al Davis or Jerry Jones fighting the league, nor was it Bob Irsay relocating his team in the middle of the night. Those were events with long-term consequences that required years, if not decades, to completely comprehend. What about Watson's contract? It started altering course and upsetting the league's management class almost immediately.

Baltimore vice president Ozzie Newsome acknowledged publicly in March that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti had referred to the Watson deal as an issue creator in the stalled Lamar Jackson contract negotiations. Following that, Colts owner Jim Irsay placed a finer point on it at the league's owners meetings, telling reporters, "I do not believe in fully guaranteed contracts," while referring to the Jackson discussion. And none of this addresses what franchise owners are saying about the Watson trade away from the cameras and mics, which can best be characterized as a symphony of middle fingers directed at the Browns.

Of course, it was the expected reaction. The deal has already been signed. There is no turning back. The only way forward is for Watson to return to his prior Pro Bowl form and produce the kind of postseason success that has long eluded the organization. It's the kind of result that would allow Haslam to turn to his colleagues and say, "This is why I had to do it." This is the payoff for taking a public relations blow and questioning how we do top quarterback transactions."

If Watson turns things around, it's doubtful that any team owners will be kissing Haslams on the cheek, but at least they'll have something to justify the gamble. Because Watson's 2022 ledger was far from it. Quite the contrary. And the longer there is no football proof, the worse Haslam will appear among an increasing number of team owners who are fighting over quarterback extensions.

Can you see where this is going? These are all critical elements in transforming the Browns into a team that is not only efficiently managed, but also structurally and monetarily near the top of the NFL pack. That kind of event is extremely profitable, promising to lift the Browns out of the lowest third of team valuations while possibly adding billions of dollars to the Haslams' personal worth.

There's a lot at stake.  has a lot to do with how Watson performs in the future years, and how that ability translates into on-field success. Cleveland's head coach and general manager are in desperate need of it. But not more than the Haslams, who have their image among other team owners and their financial account entwined in this.