Earlier this offseason, the Cleveland Browns paid a king’s ransom to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson.
They then paid Watson a king’s ransom himself. After trading multiple first-round picks to the Texans, the Browns shelled out $230 million guaranteed to the former Clemson star.
Before they traded for Watson, though, the Browns reportedly had a different quarterback on their mind. According to NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, the Browns attempted to trade for Russell Wilson.
“Can confirm Browns made a play for Russ Wilson (not the first time) this off season, but was not interested in playing there,” Allbright said. “Chose Broncos over multiple other teams.”
In the end, the Seattle Seahawks shipped Wilson to the Denver Broncos – for much less than the Texans received for Watson.
Cleveland wasn’t the only team interested in Wilson this offseason, but the Browns clearly didn’t attract the Super Bowl champion. Now the team is waiting to hear how long Watson will be suspended to start the 2022 season.
Meanwhile, the Broncos are expected to compete for much more than just a playoff spot in the AFC.