Browns New Coach

Sends Message to Deshaun Watson

Ken Dorsey is ready to get to work with Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and has high hopes for his star passer.

Dorsey was officially introduced by the Browns on Monday as their new offensive coordinator. A large part of his press conference focused on Watson and how he plans to utilize the team’s $230 million quarterback.

“I’m extremely excited to work with this offense, especially Deshaun (Watson) and him being one of the top quarterbacks in this league,” Dorsey said on Monday, February 5. “The opportunity to really go out there this season and help him prove that he really is a top quarterback in this league that can operate and help us win a bunch of football games.”

The Browns sent three first-round picks to the Houston Texans to land Watson in 2022 via a blockbuster trade. They also handed him a massive guaranteed contract after the move.

Browns Looking to Get More Out of Deshaun Watson
The Browns want to get more out of Deshaun Watson next season.
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The Browns want to get more out of Deshaun Watson next season.

So far, the trade hasn’t played out as the Browns had hoped. Watson has appeared in just 12 games due to a lengthy suspension and injuries. He’s had some great moments, but his play has been mostly uneven. Watson has gone 8-4 in his starts, passing for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions.

What has Dorsey excited is that the sentiment in the building is that Watson wants to be coached and pushed to take his game to the next level.

“Everything I’ve been told from Kevin and the guys here is that he wants to be coached. He wants to be pushed and driven. And I think I’ll be able to pick up where the staff has left off on that,” Dorsey said. “Our job in the quarterback room is to go out, score points, and help us win football games, whether it’s one point, 20 points, or whatever. And I think when you get a guy like him, he’s going to help you do that.”

The main hurdle for the Browns will be keeping Watson healthy. Last season, he missed time with two separate shoulder injuries. The second ended his season in mid-November. Watson had surgery shortly after it was announced but is expected to be ready to roll for training camp.

Ken Dorsey’s Experience Will Help With Deshaun Watson
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Ken Dorsey has worked with quarterbacks Cam Newton and Josh Allen in the past. That could help him with Browns QB Deshaun Watson.

Part of the reason Dorsey was hired was due to his past success with quarterbacks. The most notable among those are former Carolina Panthers MVP Cam Newton and Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen. The Browns are hoping he can help Watson regain the Pro Bowl form he showed in Houston.

“People looked and saw Cam and Josh and said, ‘Oh, they’re the same.’ They are very unique and different players in a lot of ways. So, every one of these guys is so unique,” Dorsey said. “Watching Deshaun, he clearly has a great feel for a lot of different aspects of football. I think that’s the exciting part about working with him—getting back to the elite level of who he is.”

Dorsey said he spoke with Watson shortly after being hired as Alex Van Pelt’s replacement.

“I was able to have a conversation with him, and it was great,” Dorsey said. “He’s one of the premier quarterbacks in this league, and from everything I’ve heard about him, he’s a really quality human being. So I’m just excited about that opportunity.”

Watson has been in Los Angeles for most of the offseason, rehabbing from his shoulder surgery. He’s expected back in Cleveland for most—if not all—of the team’s offseason activities.

J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media, with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional, and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote

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