In this video, Garrett Bush of The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show and Jeff Loyd of the Locked on Browns Podcast be discuss what the Browns identity on offence should be when Deshaun Watson returns. Deshaun Watson is set to return to the NFL this season, and with that comes the question of what the Browns identity on offence should be. With Jacoby Brissett at the helm, the offence has been run predominantly through the air. However, with Watson back in the fold, the Browns will likely look to use him more in the passing game. In this video, we'll discuss what the Browns identity on offence should be when Deshaun Watson returns, and what that might mean for the team moving forward.

When the 2022 season started, the ceiling for the Browns (3-6) was to hand off a playoff contending team to Watson in Week 13. But something closer to the basement has unfolded for a variety of reasons. The only thing that matters now is reality for the franchise. The brutal truth is Watson’s return from an 11-game suspension is a starting point. It's an opportunity to put a team on the field around him and then accurately judge what pieces Watson can elevate, versus the positions the front office and coaching staff will need to revamp in the offseason. The fact remains that this no longer looks like a team that can be fixed by simply plugging Watson into a regular-season NFL game for the first time in 23 months. There are too many problems to be solved, ranging from coaching to talent to injuries.

Adding a patience problem on top of all that isn’t going to help anyone. Not Watson. Not head coach Kevin Stefanski. Not general manager Andrew Berry. And certainly not all of the Browns fans who are looking at the quarterback change as some kind of cure-all for this troubling and lethargic start.Of course, that’s not what many Browns fans want to hear. There is a segment that wants to believe that splitting the next two games against the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then forking over a 4-7 team to Watson in Week 13 sets up Cleveland for a transformational run down the stretch. That finishing flourish under Watson would have to assume the defense could suddenly stop opposing run games or that Watson shows no lag from his layoff.

When completely healthy, Cleveland has some of that talent. More additions can be made this offseason. Not to mention whatever moves are necessary to shore up the run defense and the languishing of the defensive scheme that seems to be an extension of coordinator Joe Woods. But what has to be understood is that Watson isn’t going to answer whether Jadeveon Clowney is a viable defensive piece beyond 2022. Watson isn't going to solve the deficit at defensive tackle. He can’t make the offensive line healthier or add depth where it matters most.

What Watson can do is the only things fans should expect him to do for the final six games of 2022. Play clean and mistake-free. Protect the football from turnovers. Develop a rhythm with Stefanski. Stay healthy and seek out answers about which skill position players fit his game the best. If he can do all of those things, it will be precisely what Cleveland needs from this brief window that is ultimately setting up 2023.

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