Cleveland Browns

Joe Burrow says he can't blame the Cleveland Browns for going all-in on Deshaun Watson ... admitting it was smart to "take a chance" on the superstar QB -- even with Baker Mayfield on the roster.

Cleveland added Watson after a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans in March ... which, of course, pissed Mayfield off and left his future in northeast Ohio up in the air -- despite reaching the postseason in 2020.

Burrow says Baker's current situation is "tough," but gets why the Brownies went through with the deal ... saying when a talent like Watson is available, you gotta go for it.

"I think when you have a guy like Deshaun, you gotta take a chance at that," the 25-year-old QB said on Full Send Podcast this week, "'cause he's such a great player."

Burrow says this is not a shot at Baker -- in fact, he believes the former Heisman winner will succeed somewhere else ... wherever that is.

"Baker will land on his feet," Burrow said, "He's a really good player."

Of course, Joey B knows firsthand what Bake's capable of -- Mayfield has balled out every time the Browns played the Bengals -- and the AFC champ has yet to beat the Ohio rivals.

"Every time we play him, he balls," Burrow added. "First time we played him [in 2020], Thursday night ... we lost like 30-34 or something. He balled."

During Mayfield's four seasons with the Browns, he's logged in 14,125 passing yards, 92 touchdowns and 56 interceptions. He also led the Browns to their first playoff win in forever.

Cleveland Browns fullback Johnny Stanton is praising his primary care physician, Dr. John Cheng, for sacrificing his life in the Laguna Woods shooting ... honoring the man for his heroic actions.

Officials say 52-year-old Cheng was killed as he tried to stop the gunman who opened fire at the Geneva Presbyterian Church on Sunday. 5 others were injured in the shooting ... and cops say if Cheng hadn't taken action, there would have been "numerous additional victims."

Stanton -- who grew up in California before reaching the NFL in 2018 -- paid tribute to Cheng on Twitter minutes ago ... after realizing Cheng is the man who helped him out with regular checkups over the years.

"I just found out the person killed in the Laguna Woods shooting yesterday was my primary care physician, Dr. John Cheng," Stanton said.

"Absolute hero," Stanton added. "He attacked the gunman and helped save so many in that church. I just wanted his name to be known."

"He will be missed."

Nick Chubb is at it again -- the running back for the Cleveland Browns just squatted 675 pounds ... and video of the feat is damn impressive!!

Nick's brother, Zach, posted footage of the crazy rep Monday morning ... showing the former Georgia standout going ass-to-grass with nearly 700 pounds on his back.

In the short clip, you can see Nick unload the bar -- with 7 plates (!!!) on each side -- then bend down with good form, and complete one full rep.

Nick had a spotter standing behind him, but there was no need for the guy, as the 3-time 1,000-yard rusher seemed to handle the weight seamlessly.

This isn't the first time NC has demonstrated what he can do in the weight room. The 26-year-old previously squatted 500 pounds with ease back in March, and was stoked about it.

Sneakerheads brace yourselves ... Odell Beckham just put his Ohio crib on the market for $3.3 million -- and the walk-in closet looks just like Footlocker!

Take a look (the awesome video was shot by EZ Media) ... the 13,800-square-foot pad sits on 2.13 acres in Columbia Station -- 20 miles west of Cleveland -- and comes with 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, a huge kitchen and 3 car garage.

The two-story home comes has a whole bunch of entertainment with the club-like bar, movie theatre, golf simulator, game room that's big enough for a hockey rink, pool and Ping-Pong table plus a private one for live-stream gaming.

There's also a swimming pool with a slide and gym with a basketball hoop for outdoor fun.

But, what stood out the most was this insane custom-made walk-in closet that looks like a sneaker boutique with the outrageous amount of room for probably 100 pairs of kicks!

Well, OBJ is considered one of the best-dressed players in the game right now so it makes sense why he had this Footlocker-looking closet made.

This cool pad was listed this week by Megan Pettine of Keller Williams ... and has a $3.3 million price tag.

Of course, OBJ is officially giving O-H the deuces after the 3x Pro Bowler was released by the Cleveland Browns last November.

Beckham ended up signing a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the Rams and won his first Super Bowl this year. He's currently a free agent.

Baker Mayfield is opening up about his ongoing beef with the Cleveland Browns ... appearing to say the front office lied to him about their pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

The former top pick -- who's been silent since releasing a heartfelt message to Browns fans on March 15 -- discussed his situation in Cleveland on the "Ya Never Know: You Know What I Mean?" podcast with Mike. (FKA Mike Stud) this week ... saying he feels "disrespected" by how things played out this offseason.

"The respect thing is all gonna be a personal opinion," Baker said Wednesday. "I feel disrespected, 100%, because I was told one thing and they did another. That's what I'm in the middle of right now."

It's pretty clear Bake is referring to the Browns trading for Watson ... as Mayfield requested a trade shortly after news broke about Cleveland's interest in the former Texans quarterback.

The Browns haven't traded Mayfield yet ... and there's talk they could actually keep him this season in case Watson's punished as a result of 22 massage therapists alleging sexual misconduct.

Despite the chatter, Baker sounds like the official breakup is incoming ... saying he has no idea where he's going to play next.

"I'm just looking for stabilization right now, and I know what I need to know to be the best version of me and to lead an organization," he said. "I'm in a good place right now, where, like, I have no clue where I am going."

Devastating news for Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah ... his older brother was tragically found dead by police on Tuesday inside of a Virginia home.

He was only 23 years old.

Hampton Police say officers responded to a 9:57 AM call on Tuesday about a deceased person at the 400 block of Lake Tower Drive (one hour east of Richmond, VA).

When authorities arrived on scene, they said they found a dead body inside the residence ... as well as evidence of a fire.

Police announced on Wednesday they ID'ed the victim as Jeremiah's brother, Joshua Emmanuel Owusu-Koramoah. Authorities added they are now investigating the death as a homicide.

22-year-old Jeremiah -- who is currently in Ghana hosting an NFL in Africa football camp -- played football at Bethel High School in Hampton with Joshua.

While Jeremiah ended up going to Notre Dame -- and becoming the Browns' 2nd-round pick in the 2021 draft -- Joshua played three seasons (2016-2018) as a reserve linebacker at William & Mary, where he majored in chemistry.

"Our sympathies are with the Owusu-Koramoah family," the W&M football team said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Joshua's loss will be felt by the many individuals in our athletics program and campus community whose lives he touched with his kindness and caring."

Joshua was a science teacher at Hampton Christian High School, according to his friend Drew Barker, who told the Daily Press he knew something was wrong earlier this week when Joshua stopped responding to his messages.

"It was automatically heartbreaking when he wasn’t answering phone calls, because he was the most punctual, respectful, humble and reliable person I know," Barker said.

"We tried to hold out hope as long as we could. When we found out it was him, it was demoralizing trying to figure out how this happened.”

Police say the homicide investigation is ongoing and "there is no additional information to release at this time."

RIP

"I wrestle with feeling it would be easier to not exist. Many survivors share these feelings, and some of Watson's fans have expressed that they would like for us to be raped, imprisoned, or killed."

That was written by one of the women who has accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct during a massage session, writing a piece for The Daily Beast about the alleged abuse she endured after the star QB (who has adamantly denied any wrongdoing) was not charged with any crimes.

The accuser, Lauren Baxley (she has decided to reveal her name), recalls waiting for the Texas Grand Jury's decision ... and when the word came down the men and women of the jury didn't believe there was enough evidence to criminally charge Deshaun, it triggered a barrage of hate.

"More than that, the choice to not indict Watson on our testimonies -- that were deemed 'highly credible' by prosecutors and the detectives who worked our criminal cases -- opened a floodgate of abuse, slander, and libel toward us on the internet," Baxley wrote.

She continued ... "The worst of the women-haters came out, declaring the no-bills proof that we were 'prostitutes' all along."

FYI, "no bill" means no charges.

And, Lauren says she's offended by the assertion she did anything wrong.

"As someone who has faithfully strived to maintain the highest level of professionalism, and as someone who -- in my entire career -- has never experienced the type of behavior that Watson displayed, comments like that are not only infuriating and untrue, they are wholly shifting the blame from a serial predator onto unwitting and unwilling women."

Baxter doesn't go into detail about her accusations against Watson, but does say it's the first time she experienced such an allegedly traumatic incident at work.

"I have worked with dozens of professional athletes over my decade-plus career as a massage therapist, and no session before Watson ever turned sexual in nature. I have worked with dozens of television and film actors through comic conventions, and no man has ever exposed himself to me, nor assaulted me in any way prior to Watson."

Baxter also goes in on the Cleveland Browns for not only trading for the Pro Bowler, but then rewarding him with a $230 million deal.

"Additionally, a failure to charge or convict a crime does not equate to innocence. Watson, his fans, and the Cleveland Browns pretending it does is not only ignorant, it is evil."

She also took a shot at LeBron James -- pointing out what she believes is hypocritical behavior -- after the NBA superstar tweeted, celebrating Watson's huge new contract.

"I would include a certain NBA player along with the other disappointing excuses of men who in one breath may bring awareness to the struggles of marginalized Black women, and in the next praise the elevation of a man who abused dozens of them."

Baxter addressed other famous people who may feel tempted to stick up for Watson, pleading with them to ... just don't.

"I would never expect a public figure to side with Watson's victims. However, I do ask that anyone with a responsibility to uphold basic morality simply shut their mouths and log off Twitter when they are tempted to show him support."

Barring something unforeseen, Watson will not be charged criminally. However, he still has to deal with the 20+ women who are suing him.

Deshaun Watson was grilled by an attorney during a deposition in Texas ... responding to questions about claims he was sexually inappropriate with over 20 female massage therapists.

The 26-year-old Browns quarterback recently sat for the depo in the Lonestar state earlier this month ... and now, several excerpts from the session have been posted by FOX 8 in Cleveland.

To say Deshaun answered the questions may be a bit of a stretch ... the Pro Bowl QB seemingly did a lot of dancing and dodging.

Questions included why he reached out via Instagram for appointments, whether the massage therapists were actually licensed or why he would allegedly drive 30 minutes out of town to meet at a woman's mother's house for a rub down.

Watson says the Houston Texans were not made aware of his numerous appointments ... and when he was asked if he reached out to massage therapists he viewed as attractive, the QB says he cannot answer because he has a girlfriend, but said it wasn't his intentions."

It's worth noting ... depositions regularly go on for hours, but video that was released is just a couple of minutes long. It's entirely possible Deshaun was forthcoming at other times, but those clips weren't released.

This month, two grand juries in Texas both reached the same conclusion ... that Watson should NOT be charged criminally for allegedly being inappropriate with female masseuses.

Deshaun's likely in the clear criminally ... but he is still being sued in civil court by 20+ women.

Jim Thome's wife says the couple is done with the Browns following the Deshaun Watson signing ... explaining she's asked the franchise to cancel their season tickets.

Andrea Thome made the announcement on her Twitter page following Watson's introduction ceremony last week ... saying the sexual misconduct allegations against the new Cleveland quarterback were too much for her and her former MLB star hubby to ignore.

"Very sad after 40 years as a fan, but this is my line in the sand," Andrea said. "I believe women. Especially when there are 22 of them. That press conference did nothing to change my mind."

Andrea claims she wrote a letter to the Browns explaining her decision and asking for a refund -- as the couple had already paid for the tix.

She added that if the org. doesn't pay them back, she will sell off the seats in 2022 for charity.

"I will auction off every single game and publicly donate every cent to different women’s crisis charities in N.E. Ohio," Andrea said, "raising awareness week by week during the season."

Andrea later clarified that she never called Watson "guilty" ... but said the volume of accusers are "enough for me to make a decision that I have every right to make."

As we reported, more than 20 female massage therapists have said Watson was sexually inappropriate with them during sessions over the past couple years. Two grand juries in Texas, though, declined to charge Watson criminally this month.

The QB is still facing a mountain of civil lawsuits from the accusers -- and an NFL investigation into the claims is ongoing.

Deshaun Watson sent a clear message to female Cleveland Browns fans on Friday ... saying he understands the seriousness of the sexual misconduct allegations made against him -- but maintaining he "never assaulted any woman."

Watson opened his conference by thanking Dee and Jimmy Haslam for bringing him to the organization ... saying he was excited to have an opportunity to prove his true character.

Watson spoke about the public outcry following the trade ... saying, "I understand the whole circumstances is very difficult, especially for the women side of the fans in this community. I'm not naïve to that. I know these allegations are very, very serious but like I mentioned before, I never assaulted any woman, I never disrespected any woman."

He added ... "I was raised by a single-parent mom, who has two aunties, who has a sister ... and that's who raised me. I was raised to be genuine and respect everyone and everything around me. I've always defended that and I will continue to stand on that."

GM Andrew Berry acknowledged the transaction was "difficult" and "triggered" emotions within the community ... but doubled down on the team's claim it did its due diligence when it decided to pursue Watson.

Berry says the team used independent investigators in Houston to provide an unbiased conclusion ... claiming the team has faith in Watson as a person.

Berry says the team was advised to NOT reach out to the 22 women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct ... as it could impact the criminal proceedings.

As we previously reported, Watson was traded to the Browns in exchange for three first-round picks, one third-round pick and two fourth-round picks last week.

The 26-year-old is currently facing a mountain of lawsuits over claims of sexual misconduct made by more than 20 massage therapists ... yet he has adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

Deshaun Watson is off the hook again, a second grand jury in Texas has declined to charge the new Cleveland Browns QB.

Just days after a grand jury in Harris County, Texas opted not to charge the 26-year-old over allegations that he was sexually inappropriate with female massage therapists, another grand jury in Brazoria County did the same.

According to the district attorney, the grand jury met on Thursday and "declined to charge Deshaun Watson with any crimes."

"Accordingly," the DA added, "this matter is closed."

Watson could still face further charges in other parts of the country, as his alleged victims have accused him of wrongdoing in multiple states.

The new Cleveland signal-caller is also still facing a mountain of civil lawsuits from his accusers.

As we reported, Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns after the Harris County grand jury's decision last week.

Cleveland -- which said it was aware of Thursday's new grand jury hearing -- gave Watson a massive new contract and handed over a bevy of draft picks, including three first-rounders, to the Texans to acquire the QB.

Deshaun Watson may be a Cleveland Brown, but he's still in the city of Houston (for now) ... the QB was spotted out with his girlfriend Jilly Anais at a music festival on Saturday.

The blockbuster trade shocked the entire NFL last week for several reasons -- some questioned the controversial move, considering the mountain of sexual misconduct lawsuits filed by massage therapists.

The mixed feelings didn't stop Watson from going out to support Anais' rap performance ... as she opened up for 2 Chainz at the Texas Smoke Break Fest in Houston.

FYI, Anais was originally supposed to perform at the Toyota Center for Chris Brown's tour ... but the show was canceled during soundcheck.

"I am so thankful my team and I were still able to perform what we spent months preparing for," Anais said via IG on Sunday.

"I thank God that through the unimaginable we held it together and came out on top!"

In the video, you can see Watson -- wearing a button-down shirt and a dark cap -- right there to see her shine ... and the couple left the event looking happy as ever.

Deshaun Watson will have a new home -- after a week of rumors and meetings with several teams, the star NFL quarterback is expected to be traded to the Cleveland Browns.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Watson stunningly reversed course and picked the Browns -- who were previously thought to be out of the mix -- over the Saints, Panthers and Falcons on Friday.

Albert Breer is reporting the Browns are sending three first rounders and two additional picks to Houston in the deal.

The move comes after a grand jury in Texas elected not to pursue criminal charges after several massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct.

Watson is not in the clear, however -- he is still facing more than 20 civil suits filed by his accusers ... and is still under investigation by the NFL.

Deshaun has played in 54 games so far in his career -- and has logged 104 touchdowns, 14,539 passing yards and a 104.5 passer rating. He sat out all of the 2021 season following the therapists' allegations.

Watson's change of scenery is the latest big QB move this offseason -- as Carson Wentz and Russell Wilson were both traded last week.

Baker Mayfield is NOT included in this deal ... but is expected to be traded soon.

Baker Mayfield wants out -- the 2018 first-round pick just asked the Cleveland Browns to trade him ... after reports the team was in pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

The 26-year-old quarterback just released a statement regarding his wish ... saying, "It’s in the mutual interest of both sides for us to move on," according to ESPN.

"The relationship is too far fine to mend. It’s in the best interests of both sides to move on."

The news comes on the heels of Mayfield's statement to Cleveland fans on Tuesday ... which most took as a goodbye note to the city.

The Browns, however, reportedly will NOT grant his request.

The request comes right after reports the Browns were no longer in contention for Watson. The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are reportedly the final two potential landing spots for the Houston Texans QB.

If it's the end of Baker's time in The Land, he'll finish with 14,125 yards, 92 touchdowns and 56 interceptions ... going 29-30 through 4 seasons.

Mayfield is undoubtedly the most successful quarterback since the Browns returned in 1999 -- leading Cleveland to a playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021.

Mayfield could join fellow stars Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, who also left the Browns over the past few months.

NFL running back Duke Johnson waited THREE YEARS to get revenge on Baker Mayfield ... and he finally got it by roasting the QB amid his uncertain future with the Browns.

26-year-old Baker released a lengthy, heartfelt message to the Dawg Pound on Tuesday ... breaking his silence as the Browns reportedly pursue 3-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson.

The post almost certainly seemed like a goodbye to the city that welcomed Mayfield in 2018 ... with lines like, "I have given this franchise everything I have," and mentioning how he'll work hard "wherever I take my next snap."

Johnson -- who played one year with Baker on the Browns before requesting a trade in 2019 -- wasn't feeling the mushy post, though ... and made his reaction known by referencing an old quote the Heisman Trophy winner made during their time together.

Of course, the trainwreck tweet is a shot at comments Baker made about Duke's trade request ... when the QB said, "You're either on this train or you're not."

Johnson chose the latter ... as he was eventually traded to the Houston Texans, where he played for 2 seasons.

Step aside, James Harrison ... Nick Chubb has just made his case for biggest beast in an NFL weight room -- squatting 500 pounds for reps with ease!!

Chubb threw up the footage of the insane feat on his social media page Monday -- proving he is still crazy strong.

In the clip, you can see Chubb -- with 495 pounds (plus the two clips!) on his back -- going up and down five times easily.

The weight was so heavy, the barbell actually bent while he was performing the lift -- but Chubb still took it ass-to-grass and back up with no problem whatsoever.

Of course, for as wild as the feat is ... we should be used to it by now, given what Nick's already proven in the gym.

You'll recall, back in 2019, he cleaned 410 pounds without issue -- and has been seen from time to time doing similar lifts since.