It did not go well for Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns when he returned from his suspension in the 2022 season, but wide receiver Amari Cooper said he looks better in practices this year compared to last.
“He looks in a bit of a better groove,” Amari Cooper said, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “Just having that long layoff, of course you're going to lose some rhythm, some form of rhythm. But he looks like he's really getting that back.”
Watson started six games last season, completing 58.2% of his passes, throwing for 1,102 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. The Browns missed the playoffs as a result. In the 2023 season, the Browns need Deshaun Watson to find his prior form from his days with the Houston Texans.
Despite looking good in practice, Cooper said that not much meaning should be put into the performance of the offense during seven-on-seven drills.
“I mean, you have no pass rush, it's really like pitch and catch out there,” Cooper said, via Simmons. “Obviously, the DBs make plays sometimes. But it's not a level playing field for them when we're doing seven-on-seven, so it should look like that every time.”
It is a big year for the Browns, Watson and head coach Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland committed a fully-guaranteed contract to Watson, so they need him to perform better. After two years of missing the playoffs, Kevin Stefanski could be in trouble if the 2023 season does not go well for Cleveland. It will be interesting to see if the Browns ad another weapon, with DeAndre Hopkins as a potential addition.
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