Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing a 23rd civil lawsuit tied to allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.

USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer provided details of the suit:

In this case, the lawsuit filed Tuesday states the woman had three encounters with Watson in Houston that got progressively worse. During the third encounter in the summer of 2020, the lawsuit states Watson exposed himself to her, touched the woman between her legs and repeatedly requested that the woman have sex with him.

The woman said she felt pressured by her boss, Dionne Louis, to conduct a third massage session with Watson despite not wanting to do so. She alleged the spa for whom she worked "provided women for Watson" and that her boss "facilitated massages for Watson and knew Watson was attempting to have sex with them," per Schrotenboer. The woman said she quit her job after the third session with Watson because "she was completely traumatized by the experience."

According to Schrotenboer, other women who have filed suits against Watson have connections to Louis. The latest suit alleges Louis received $5,000 from Watson and includes an apparent CashApp receipt between the two as evidence.

Louis denied the allegations to Schrotenboer and called them "ludicrous."

In March, two grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal charges stemming from the civil lawsuits. The 22 previous civil suits that were filed against the 26-year-old remain open, though.

Watson has maintained his innocence throughout the saga, and his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, reiterated on May 20 there are no potential settlements on the table. Watson had said during his introductory press conference with the Browns it was "not my intent" to settle the cases.

Recently, two women went on the record with HBO'sReal Sports with Bryant Gumbel to detail Watson's alleged actions.

The newest woman who filed suit against the three-time Pro Bowler said the segment made her reconsider whether to pursue civil action. Per Schrotenboer, the suit reads:

In that piece, plaintiff was struck by the courage of the victims willing to step forward and speak and was extremely displeased by Watson and his legal team's mistreatment and revictimizations of the plaintiffs. But it was Watson himself claiming that even now he has 'no regrets' and has done nothing wrong that solidified her resolve. She brings this case seeking minimum compensation, but to obtain a court finding that Watson's conduct was wrong.

Watson remains subject to an ongoing investigation by the NFL. While the league has yet to render a judgment, the 26-year-old was effectively on a paid suspension for the 2021 season. He didn't appear in a single game for the Houston Texans, who kept him as a healthy scratch all year.

The Texans traded him to the Browns this offseason, with Cleveland subsequently giving Watson a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed extension.

Prior to Tuesday's news, the potential for Watson to serve a suspension into the 2022 season remained. Citing past precedent, The MMQB's Albert Breer speculated an eight-game ban could be levied, with a final decision to come in July.

The addition of a 23rd lawsuit could prolong the NFL's investigation.

The Cleveland Browns appear to have a need at wide receiver after top option Amari Cooper, but a number of veteran free agents don't currently appear to be likely solutions. 

According to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, the Browns "are not one of the two teams besides the Colts having 'fruitful' discussions for receiver T.Y. Hilton."

Additionally, free agent Will Fuller is "not currently on the radar."

Behind Cooper, the Browns most notably have Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz at wideout, a pair that combined to catch 44 passes for 732 yards and four touchdowns last season.

Not exactly elite production. 

But the Browns also have David Njoku—who they just signed to a four-year, $56.8 million extension—and Harrison Bryant at tight end. Add in Kareem Hunt as a receiver out of the backfield, and either Deshaun Watson or Baker Mayfield (if Watson faces a suspension) should have plenty of options in the passing game.

Hilton, 32, had just 23 catches for 331 yards and three scores in the 2021 season for the Colts, appearing in just 10 games because of a neck injury. 

The four-time Pro Bowler hasn't exceeded 1,000 receiving yards since the 2018 season, as injuries have cost him 14 games across the past three seasons. After registering at least 800 receiving yards in his first seven seasons, hitting 1,000 yards five times, he's yet to reach either benchmark in the past three years. 

Fuller, 28, has flashed big-play potential in his NFL career but has also struggled with injuries and consistency. He played in just two games for the Miami Dolphins last season after breaking his finger, catching four passes for 26 yards. 

In 2020, he caught 53 passes for 879 yards and eight touchdowns for the Houston Texans. 

As for now, however, the Browns appear content to stand pat at wideout, with Cabot reporting they are "happy with their receiving corps even though Cooper is their only proven veteran, and don’t feel compelled to add a bona fide No. 2 just for the sake of it."

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is still in limbo as he waits for a resolution to his trade request. 

Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns "have no plans" to cut Mayfield even if he's still on the roster when training camp opens in July. 

Cabot also noted that the Carolina Panthers, who have often been linked to Mayfield, don't have an "organizational consensus" on the 2018 No. 1 overall pick as they decide whether to trade for him.

When the Browns were in discussions about trading for Deshaun Watson, Mayfield told ESPN's Adam Schefter he formally requested a trade. 

"It's in the mutual interest of both sides for us to move on," Mayfield said. "The relationship is too far gone to mend. It's in the best interests of both sides to move on."

Cabot reported on March 17 that the Browns told Mayfield's agent they would not be accommodating his trade request. At that point, Schefter noted the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints were believed to be the finalists for Watson. 

Three days later, the Browns announced they acquired Watson from the Houston Texans. The team also signed Jacoby Brissett on March 25. 

Despite having Watson and Brissett under contract, the Browns have held on to Mayfield in hopes they'll be able to get something for him. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted shortly after the deal for Watson that Cleveland still wanted a first-round draft pick for Mayfield. 

Per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers and Browns had trade talks during the NFL draft that fell apart because Carolina wanted Cleveland to pay $13-14 million of Mayfield's 2022 salary. 

Sam Darnold is currently projected to be Carolina's starting quarterback in 2022. It also selected Matt Corral with the No. 94 overall pick in April's draft. 

The Seattle Seahawks are another team that's been linked to Mayfield, though it doesn't sound like they are interested in trading for him. Cabot noted Seattle "would sign" Mayfield as a free agent if the Browns were to release him. 

Mayfield, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract, is owed $18.9 million this season. 

In January, Mayfield announced he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He originally suffered the injury during a Week 2 game against the Texans last season. 

The 27-year-old has had an inconsistent start to his NFL career. He has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of his first four seasons but had a career-low 17 touchdown passes in 14 starts in 2021.      

Jadeveon Clowney said he re-signed with the Cleveland Browns for a chance to win a Super Bowl title this season.

The three-time Pro Bowl defensive end told Nathan Zegura of the Browns' official website (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) winning a championship is the sole focus at this stage of his career.

"I just want to chase that Super Bowl," Clowney said. "I think we've got a shot at it. We had a great defense last year. We went out and got some more key players on offense and defense, and I feel like we've got a shot. I wouldn't want to do it on another team than the one I played with last year."

Clowney, who previously played for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans, enjoyed a solid first season in Cleveland. He recorded 37 total tackles, nine sacks, two passes defended and two forced fumbles in 14 appearances.

The Browns failed to live up to expectations, however, missing the playoffs with an 8-9 record one year after going 11-5 and making the divisional round of the postseason.

Hopes are back on the rise after an offseason that featured a pair of blockbuster trades to acquire quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans and wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Dallas Cowboys.

Those high-profile additions, combined with solid depth signings and the return of Clowney to bolster the pass rush, should be enough to make the Browns a contender in the AFC.

However, it's important to note that the Browns may not have Watson under for center for at least part of the season, as the quarterback could be subject to NFL discipline stemming from 22 civil lawsuits by women who have accused him of sexual assault and misconduct.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski was happy to see Clowney, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract on May 22, back in the facilities as organized team activities kicked off this week.

"He was very productive for us last season," Stefanski told reporters. "He is very popular in this building, so having him in the meeting room and having him around the building, you felt his energy and the guys were excited that he was here."

Clowney will team back up with Myles Garrett to give Cleveland one of the NFL's most fearsome edge-rushing duos. The team ranked ninth with 43 sacks in 2021.

If the defense, which ranked fifth in yards allowed last season (311.5 per game), can match that level of performance and the offense takes the expected step forward with the arrivals of Watson and Cooper, there's a lot of upside for the Browns in 2022.

Meeting Clowney's goal of winning the Super Bowl won't be easy because the AFC is absolutely loaded with quarterback talent and should make the conference playoffs a grueling gauntlet, but at least on paper Cleveland has a shot to make a deep run.

The Browns will enter the season seeking their first Super Bowl title. Their last championship came in 1964 before the NFL-AFL merger.

NFL teams interested in a trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield reportedly want to pay less than one-third of the $18.9 million he's scheduled to make in 2022.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter the situation remains at a "standstill" because opposing teams only want to pay $5-6 million, while the Browns would prefer to pay around half of the QB's salary to facilitate a deal:

Very slow, but here are two things that could sort of speed this up. If the Browns would just agree to paying most of his $18.8 million in guaranteed money this year. Right now, the teams I've talked to believe the Browns would maybe pay half of that, or something around there, which is progress that the Browns are at least willing to be flexible here. But, teams like the Panthers or some others who have at least looked into [it] would need a lot of that money covered. They probably don't want to pay Baker more than $5 or $6 million at this point because they know they have all of the leverage against the Browns, who have their quarterback situation all worked out.

I'm also told there is some guarantees structure that the Browns could get some salary-cap relief if Baker were to say, 'Hey, I'll lessen those guarantees. You know, I can still make the money back on a new deal with a new team.' Why would he do that though, right? He's got $19 million that's on the books, guaranteed. So, he's probably not going to be flexible, though the Browns would love that. Probably not going to happen. That's why this is at a standstill. Look for mandatory minicamp though in mid-June to maybe speed this up because it's sort of an artificial deadline. He doesn't want to show up, but it is mandatory.

Cleveland accomplished its goal of rebuilding its quarterback room before the 2022 season.

The Browns acquired Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans to take over as the starter. Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs were signed to handle the backup roles.

Making those moves before dealing Mayfield left the Browns with no leverage in trade talks.

While Mayfield's contract provides zero salary-cap relief if he's released—the Browns would be on the hook for the full $18.9 million—every dollar not retained in a trade would represent cap savings.

So teams involved in discussions with Cleveland know the front office has a crowded QB room and no viable outlet with the 2018 No. 1 overall pick besides a trade.

In turn, the longer the offseason goes without a deal, the more inclined the Browns will become to retain the extra money, especially with a limited number of potential suitors.

The Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks are the two teams most often linked to Mayfield. A trade anywhere else would likely relegate the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner to a backup role, making a reduction of salary even more important.

Mayfield has endured an up-and-down four-year tenure as the Browns' starter. It appeared he finally turned a corner toward establishing himself as a franchise quarterback in 2020, when he tallied 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in 16 games.

The 27-year-old University of Oklahoma product failed to build off that success last season, though. He compiled a lackluster 17-13 TD-to-INT ratio while playing through a shoulder injury for most of the campaign.

Getting a fresh start elsewhere would give him a chance to revitalize his career, but progress toward finding a landing spot clearly remains sluggish.

Franchise-tagged tight end David Njoku and the Cleveland Browns have agreed to a four-year, $56.8 million contract extension, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. 

The deal contains $28 million guaranteed and will make him the fifth-highest-paid tight end in the NFL. 

The deal comes as no surprise as Njoku told reporters in January that he wanted to spend the rest of his career with the Browns. 

"I love it here," Njoku said. "I love it here to the core. I want to be here for the rest of my career."

However, Njoku didn't always feel that way. 

In July 2020, Njoku requested a trade from the Browns, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that it was in his client's "best interest to find a new team at this time." The request came after the team signed Austin Hooper and drafted Harrison Bryant, clogging up the tight end position. 

Cleveland had no interest in trading him, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reported at the time. Njoku eventually rescinded his trade request after meeting with general manager Andrew Berry that August. 

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot then reported in October 2020 just before the trade deadline that Njoku had once again requested a trade, but he denied the report and has been all-in since. 

The Browns franchise-tagged Njoku in March as he was set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. When they placed the tag on him, Rapoport reported the Browns had been in negotiations with his camp on an extension.

Cleveland selected Njoku in the first round of the 2017 draft, and the Miami product has spent his entire career with the team, catching 148 passes for 1,754 yards and 15 touchdowns in 65 games. 

During the 2021 campaign, he caught 36 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games while splitting time with Hooper, who caught 38 passes for 345 yards and three scores before being released in March.

Njoku will be backed up by Bryant, Miller Forristall and Nakie Griffin-Stewart. 

New Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson wore the No. 4 during his time with the Houston Texans, but that was already taken by linebacker Anthony Walker on his new team. 

So Watson gifted him with a new Rolex in exchange for the number:

When Watson was traded to the Browns, Walker had volunteered the number without asking for anything in return. 

"Yeah, Deshaun said he was coming to Cleveland, I text him 10 seconds later and said, 'Welcome to Cleveland, No. 4,'" Walker told reporters Wednesday. "That was it."

Walker will instead wear No. 5 this season, and he gained a Rolex in the process.

Watson is still facing civil lawsuits from 22 women who have accused him of sexual assault and misconduct, though two separate grand juries in Texas declined to pursue criminal charges against him. The NFL investigation into those accusations is also still ongoing and could result in a suspension if the league finds Watson violated its personal conduct policy. 

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is reportedly right on the doorstep of a new contract extension.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Njoku is absent from voluntary organized team activities while the two sides negotiate, but the process is apparently "very close on all but the guarantees."

The Browns made sure the tight end would at least be with the team for the upcoming season when they placed the franchise tag on him in March. That gave them until July 15 to negotiate a long-term contract extension.

Cabot suggested that extension could come as early as this week.

Njoku could be in line for a breakout season in 2022, especially since Cleveland released Austin Hooper. That should open up more targets for the Miami product, and Deshaun Watson will likely bring better quarterback play on the field than Baker Mayfield if he isn't suspended.

The NFL is investigating Watson, who is being sued by 22 women accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct.

Njoku appeared in 16 games last year and finished with 36 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns. It was the highest yardage mark since his second season in 2018, but he still has not lived up to the expectations that accompanied him as a first-round draft pick.

Despite the inconsistent production, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Browns offered an "impressive" long-term deal to the tight end that exceeds $13 million per year.

It seems the guaranteed parts of the offer are holding things up as of Wednesday, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him at OTAs with a new contract in the near future.         

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on Tuesday the league is "nearing the end of the investigation" into Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is being sued by 22 women accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct. 

Goodell did not provide a timeline for when the investigation might be concluded, however. 

The 26-year-old quarterback is still facing lawsuits from the 22 women, though two separate grand juries in Texas declined to pursue criminal charges against him. 

Once Watson wasn't indicted, the trade market for the former Houston Texans quarterback—who tried to force a trade away from Houston last offseason before the accusations against him were made public, and who sat out the entire 2021 season while he was being investigated by authorities—heated up.

The Browns eventually landed him for first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, a third-rounder in 2023 and fourth-rounders in 2022 and 2024. The Browns then signed him to a five-year, $230 million contract extension. 

Ashley Solis, who accused Watson of placing his penis in her hand during a massage, told HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in an episode set to air on Tuesday night that the quarterback's lucrative contract extension was hard for her to stomach. 

"It's just like a big screw you," she said (h/t Jake Trotter of ESPN). "That's what it feels like. That we don't care. He can run and throw, and that's what we care about."

Kyla Hayes—who accused Watson of repeatedly touching her with his penis during a massage, to the point that he eventually ejaculated—expressed a similar sentiment. 

"It was sick to me," she said (h/t Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). "I felt like he's being rewarded for bad behavior."

Watson is currently with the Browns at the team's voluntary organized team activities this week.