Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition

Browns’ bill for Watson goes up

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The price for Deshaun Watson went up for the Browns in 24 hours. Call it football inflation.

The Browns’ trade for the legally entangled quarterbac­k became official Sunday, when the Browns finalized the complex deal and released statements from owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam explaining their decision to add him to their roster following the team’s own extensive investigat­ion.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Watson has been accused of sexual misconduct by 22 female massage therapists.

The Browns’ announceme­nt also included terms of the deal that turned out to be inaccurate. On Monday, when the trade hit the NFL transactio­ns wire, the Browns had sent first- and fourth-round draft picks in 2022 (Nos. 13 and 107), firstand third-rounders in 2023 and first- and fourth-rounders in 2024 to the Texans.

In exchange, the Browns got Watson and a sixth-rounder in 2024.

The original deal didn’t include the fourth-round pick this season and had Cleveland getting back a fifth-rounder in ’24. The team did not provide any reason for the change.

Watson is expected to be in Cleveland later this week for a physical and to be introduced by the Browns at a news conference. Plans are still being finalized by the team, which has received some backlash for their decision to trade for him and give Watson a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.

Watson is scheduled to give deposition­s the next two days in Houston in the pending civil lawsuits filed by the women who said he sexually abused and harassed them during massage therapy sessions.

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