The OFFICIAL 2022 NFL Offseason Thread

[Johnnie]

I don't even like anime, but holy shit that was awesome.

[Johnnie]

Like, every team has something cooked up for the schedule release???

Did this happen last year? I'm legitimately impressed. Some of these are actually really good.

[Johnnie]

Report: Drew Brees is out as NFL analyst for NBC after one season

[pruitt2]

That is so great.

[Tom 1860]

So Deshaun Watson now has a 23rd lawsuit against him and it would have been his 24th, but one has been dropped/settled...

Can someone explain to me how he has had this hanging over his head since 2020 and still was made the highest paid player in NFL history by the Browns following the enormous trade from Houston?

I understand the NFL is a business, he is a great, young QB, he is innocent until proven guilty, the Brown have got that brilliantly cheap 1st year in his contract because they expect him to be banned for a significant period etc... But Shirley at some point a moral compass has to be found, it is not like this is one or two women filing suits here.

Is this similar to the Trump thing where the comment was something like "that's why you have lawyers", because so many people want to make money from your success, they are willing to lie to get on the gravy train.

[HaulCitgo]

Reasonable question of why 23 lawsuits for money but no criminal actions. The standard to indict someone is low and prosecutors couldnt even get a jury to agree with their one sided version of events. Hard to say. Only a few know like most cases.

[govmentchedda]

Reasonable question of why 23 lawsuits for money but no criminal actions. The standard to indict someone is low and prosecutors couldnt even get a jury to agree with their one sided version of events. Hard to say. Only a few know like most cases.

C'mon, man. You know the difference between 51% and 99.9999999%.

[L-Jam3]

Madden's cover athlete is being released today. It's gotta be Kupp, right? Unless they make it Madden in memoriam.

[Gunpowder]

I also think that a bunch of women are doing a money grab but coincidentally all chose to go after the same QB. What are the odds?

[mister d]

Yeah, I mean there's a reason every male celebrity has atleast a half-dozen sexual assault allegations by the time they turn 30. Just the nature of the business.

[Rex]

I thought the issue was that nothing he did was actually a crime. Civil liability is a lot broader.

[L-Jam3]

I thought the issue was that nothing he did was actually a crime. Civil liability is a lot broader.

If Watson instead swung his closed fist on a masseuse instead of his dick, would we be questioning whether a crime was committed?

That’s the way it’s best to view rape. Instead of asking “was the sexual act consensual?” ask “would we consider this a crime if he used his closed fist instead of his dick?”

[Rex]

Usually the touchstone of a criminal sexual assault charge is penetration or some type of contact. The account I read involved Watson taking his towel off repeatedly during a massage, which is not that. I assume that out of such a large group there are some women who actually had sex with him. As to those cases, I don't really know what to say other than that the charges were presented to a grand jury and they declined to indict him. In those cases, you're really not arguing with the prosecutor or The System but rather a group of fellow people just like us who heard the evidence (unlike us) and decided it wasn't enough. The civil cases will be a different story because there is less you have to prove.

[mister d]

That’s the way it’s best to view rape. Instead of asking “was the sexual act consensual?” ask “would we consider this a crime if he used his closed fist instead of his dick?”

Good thing we don't have a Trevor Bauer / Barstool contingent in here.

[sancarlos]

When is the NFL supposed to rule on his suspension? Any day now, right? I’ve read speculation all over the map, from 20+ games to “time served”.

Hard to see Godell looking good here, no matter what.

[Tom 1860]

When is the NFL supposed to rule on his suspension? Any day now, right? I’ve read speculation all over the map, from 20+ games to “time served”.

Hard to see Godell looking good here, no matter what.

Has he had any "time served", I thought the he on some kind of reserve list last season at Houston and he was paid in full, he was not suspended, the Texans simply decided not to have him on the active roster right?

[tennbengal]

That is correct.

[Nonlinear FC]

Usually the touchstone of a criminal sexual assault charge is penetration or some type of contact. The account I read involved Watson taking his towel off repeatedly during a massage, which is not that. I assume that out of such a large group there are some women who actually had sex with him. As to those cases, I don't really know what to say other than that the charges were presented to a grand jury and they declined to indict him. In those cases, you're really not arguing with the prosecutor or The System but rather a group of fellow people just like us who heard the evidence (unlike us) and decided it wasn't enough. The civil cases will be a different story because there is less you have to prove.

Unless it involves a police officer, I just assume that when a grand jury doesn't indict, there's just something very fundamentally flawed with the case. It's not like the defense is in there making objections and presenting counter arguments. I know that's an obvious point to the vast majority (all?) on this board, but I don't know that the public gets that.

That doesn't excuse him and it shouldn't preclude the league from doing something about it.

[HaulCitgo]

I thought the issue was that nothing he did was actually a crime. Civil liability is a lot broader.

If Watson instead swung his closed fist on a masseuse instead of his dick, would we be questioning whether a crime was committed?

That’s the way it’s best to view rape. Instead of asking “was the sexual act consensual?” ask “would we consider this a crime if he used his closed fist instead of his dick?”

I think that's kinda gross and abusive but who am I to say

[brian]

At BEST, at absolute as positive a light you want to shine on Watson he’s pretty clearly guilty of serial sexual harassment.

Which is still, you know, like….not at all OK

[mister d]

Unless it involves a police officer, I just assume that when a grand jury doesn't indict, there's just something very fundamentally flawed with the case. It's not like the defense is in there making objections and presenting counter arguments.

I'm assuming if the same case were targeting Gary Blackperson and not Deshaun Watson, it gets an indictment if desired?

[brian]

Unless it involves a police officer, I just assume that when a grand jury doesn't indict, there's just something very fundamentally flawed with the case. It's not like the defense is in there making objections and presenting counter arguments.

I'm assuming if the same case were targeting Gary Blackperson and not Deshaun Watson, it gets an indictment if desired?

Honestly in this case I’m not sure that’s true for a few reasons.

[mister d]

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought grand juries indicted like >95% of the time or something astronomical like that?

[pruitt2]

At BEST, at absolute as positive a light you want to shine on Watson he’s pretty clearly guilty of serial sexual harassment.

Which is still, you know, like….not at all OK

And even if, IF, the cases have no merit, this is still a nearly quarter-billion dollar face of the franchise who clearly loves that rub and tug. Only 23 of the women he visited - or who visited his residence or hotel - have filed charges against him. Pretty obvious that there are dozens more who were fine with the transactions.

And this is the face of the Browns for the foreseeable future?

Fandom dies hard, but it would give me pleasure to see that team bottom out once again.

[brian]

At BEST, at absolute as positive a light you want to shine on Watson he’s pretty clearly guilty of serial sexual harassment.

Which is still, you know, like….not at all OK

And even if, IF, the cases have no merit, this is still a nearly quarter-billion dollar face of the franchise who clearly loves that rub and tug. Only 23 of the women he visited - or who visited his residence or hotel - have filed charges against him. Pretty obvious that there are dozens more who were fine with the transactions.

And this is the face of the Browns for the foreseeable future?

Fandom dies hard, but it would give me pleasure to see that team bottom out once again.

And not to beat a dead horse because we’ve covered this a bit before but having massages from that many massage therapists if it was really supposed to be a legitimate transaction is a HUGE red flag.

Even insanely rich people will usually find one good therapist and stick with them. He’s pretty obviously a predator.

[DSafetyGuy]

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought grand juries indicted like >95% of the time or something astronomical like that?

Federal grand juries are normally over 99%.

[brian]

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought grand juries indicted like >95% of the time or something astronomical like that?

Federal grand juries are normally over 99%.

In nominal fairness to Watson federal prosecutors are generally major leaguers. A Texas grand jury is almost literally a clown show by comparison.

[Gunpowder]

At BEST, at absolute as positive a light you want to shine on Watson he’s pretty clearly guilty of serial sexual harassment.

Which is still, you know, like….not at all OK

And even if, IF, the cases have no merit, this is still a nearly quarter-billion dollar face of the franchise who clearly loves that rub and tug. Only 23 of the women he visited - or who visited his residence or hotel - have filed charges against him. Pretty obvious that there are dozens more who were fine with the transactions.

And this is the face of the Browns for the foreseeable future?

Fandom dies hard, but it would give me pleasure to see that team bottom out once again.

To me the best part of this was the 17 or so masseuses he had defending him which, I mean, how many do you have exactly? And he's going to just stop doing this cold jerky? I mean turkey?

[Rex]

Imagine being a masseuse in Texas that never met Watson. How bad must you be?

[The Sybian]

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought grand juries indicted like >95% of the time or something astronomical like that?

Federal grand juries are normally over 99%.

In nominal fairness to Watson federal prosecutors are generally major leaguers. A Texas grand jury is almost literally a clown show by comparison.

Not to mention Federal Prosecutors are incredibly selective in the cases they take. Both because US Attorneys are deeply protective over their winning percentage and because they turn down 100s if 1000s of cases for every one they take. At Customs, just our regional office sent over over 100 cases every week as a formality knowing they wouldn't be considered. Most won't take a case with less that 95% chance of winning at trial, let alone indictment. Unless it's an extremely high profile case that they need to take to make a point (or cave to political pressure).

[Reaper]

When is the NFL supposed to rule on his suspension? Any day now, right? I’ve read speculation all over the map, from 20+ games to “time served”.

Hard to see Godell looking good here, no matter what.

Has he had any "time served", I thought the he on some kind of reserve list last season at Houston and he was paid in full, he was not suspended, the Texans simply decided not to have him on the active roster right?

I was holding out hope that Goodell would slow play this after what the Browns did to his contract so Watson wouldn't lose too much money. If they waited and let the civil suits play out this year, he'd be paid his $1M salary for 2022. Then suspend him for 2023 and he'd lose $46M. Which is an ungodly number that was guaranteed anyway for the next three years following that anyway. But still, dragging it out so he loses an extra $45 mill would be just sweet IMHO.

[DSafetyGuy]

Top notch work.

[Rex]

It is surprising he didn't find 3 more.

[tennbengal]

[tennbengal]

In case anyone was using the lack of an indictment to feel better about Watson...

[A_B]

I’m out for sure. Fuck this guy and this stupid decision by my team.

[brian]

I’m out for sure. Fuck this guy and this stupid decision by my team.

Welcome to the “living with your. QB/head coach being a rapist” club. Not as many of us these days since Patricia got fired and Big Ben retired. Any Saints fans in The Swamp?

[mister d]

I’m out for sure. Fuck this guy and this stupid decision by my team.

I think this is good. Teams assume fans simply won’t walk away.

[Johnnie]

Holy shit. That's fucking nuts.

[EnochRoot]

I’m out for sure. Fuck this guy and this stupid decision by my team.

Welcome to the “living with your. QB/head coach being a rapist” club. Not as many of us these days since Patricia got fired and Big Ben retired. Any Saints fans in The Swamp?

I stopped watching the Bucs when Winston was their QB. They no longer seem to refer to him as a sexual predator though...But he was/is.