Browns' Deshaun Watson discusses offseason approach

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is admittedly in a better place today than where he was last June. 

"I feel really good," Watson said while speaking with reporters on Wednesday, per Jake Trotter of ESPN. "The biggest thing is the confidence level, knowing who I am, trusting what I do, trusting the work that I put in these past couple years to get back to this position I'm in ... So, I'm enjoying myself. I'm having fun."

Watson sat through the 2021 campaign while with the Houston Texans following an offseason trade request and likely realized when Houston traded him to Cleveland he'd miss time this past season due to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. While two grand juries declined to indict Watson, the NFL nevertheless suspended the 27-year-old for 11 games for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Watson looked rusty in a new offense across his first six contests with Cleveland following the ban. He completed just 58.2% of 170 pass attempts for 1,102 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions, and ESPN stats show he would've finished the regular season ranked 27th with a 38.3 adjusted QBR if he was among qualified players. 

Watson indicated he believes he'll return to the form that made him a three-time Pro Bowl selection thanks to spending an entire offseason working under head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt at the same time he's cemented atop Cleveland's depth chart. 

"I’m pretty far ahead of where I was last year," Watson added during his comments, as shared by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "Last year was, as far as football and being on the field, just learning a new system. Trying to adapt to different teammates, different players, how guys run routes, how Kevin calls the plays. It’s just being able to process the game at the speed I know. Being a year in and being able to speak to Kevin and AVP about what we want to do and being confident about it, it allows me to play a little bit faster when I’m on the field." 

The Browns understood when they gave Watson $230M in fully guaranteed money over five years in March 2022 he wouldn't be available for a full season before 2023 at the earliest. It's now on Watson to prove he was worth that type of investment as he tries to guide Cleveland on a lengthy playoff run beginning in September.