Sunday Dawg Chow: Browns news (3/20/22)

Cleveland Browns:

• Deshaun Watson trade might cost Cleveland Browns more than money, draft picks (ESPN) - The Cleveland Browns were desperate to trade for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. So desperate, they were willing to give Watson more than any other team in contention for his services.
• Browns restructure Amari Cooper’s contract a week after trading with Cowboys for receiver (Beacon Journal) - The Browns restructured wide receiver Amari Cooper’s contract Saturday to create more than $15 million in salary cap space this year, a person familiar with the situation said, confirming an NFL Network report. Most of Cooper’s $20 million salary for next season was converted into a signing bonus and two void years were added to his contract, the source confirmed.
• How Browns adding Deshaun Watson will change their team-building strategy (cleveland.com) - Adding Deshaun Watson at quarterback takes the ceiling off the Browns potential. As the AFC loaded up on elite quarterbacks, the Browns were left watching. Now that the Browns are all in, what does it mean for their team-building approach moving forward?
• Resetting free agency, draft and roster after Deshaun Watson blockbuster trade (Browns Zone) - The pursuit and eventual acquisition of quarterback Deshaun Watson dominated the Browns discussion in recent days. That’s only natural. He’s the key to the Browns becoming Super Bowl contenders. But the NFL offseason rages on and general manager Andrew Berry’s job doesn’t stop even when he makes a blockbuster trade.

NFL:

• Titans signing tight end Austin Hooper to one-year, $6 million deal (Nashville Tennessean) - The Tennessee Titans have landed their No. 1 tight end. The Titans are signing free-agent Austin Hooper to a one-year deal worth $6 million, a source with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to The Tennessean. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, as the team has not made the announcement.
• Longtime NFL reporter John Clayton passes away at 67 (NFL.com) - John Clayton covered the NFL for five decades. He was on the beat for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, he was an NFL insider for ESPN, he was an award-winner, most recently hosted The John Clayton Weekends show, and was the centerpiece of one of the most memorable ESPN commercials of all time. Known as “The Professor,” Clayton was a much-respected and beloved figure in the NFL media world who passed away after a brief illness, the Seahawks announced. He was 67.
• Michigan’s David Ojabo ruptured Achilles tendon during NFL draft pro day (Detroit Free Press) - The worst fears for David Ojabo have been confirmed. Ojabo, projected to be a first-round pick in April’s 2022 NFL draft, has ruptured the Achilles tendon in his left foot, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday morning.
• There isn’t a clear winner in the Davante Adams trade—but both sides still had to do it (The Ringer) - This offseason has shown that standing pat is no longer an option in the NFL. So while the Raiders shelled out two picks and a ton of money to land Adams, and the Packers lost their second-most-important player, this deal makes sense for both teams.