Browns dealing with backlash after trading for Deshaun Watson

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has met face-to-face with newly acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“I won’t get into all of the specifics, but I will tell you that’s an important meeting, to get face-to-face for the first time and ask those questions, understand the person,” Stefanski said at the NFL owners meeting on Monday. “It was an important step in that process. Getting in front of him and finding out what he was about.”

The Browns acquired Watson from the Texans in a blockbuster trade. The Falcons were finalists, but they were beaten out when Cleveland decided to fully guarantee $230 million on a five-year extension.

There’s been some backlash in Northeast Ohio about the trade for Watson, who is facing 22 civil lawsuits over sexual misconduct/indecency. Watson is from Gainesville and led Clemson to a national championship. He was a ballboy for the Falcons during his high school days.

“We’ve tried to be so understanding of everybody’s viewpoint on this because that’s really, really important,” Stefanski said. “I just want to make sure that I’m available in our building to everyone to talk through it with. It’s not something that was taken lightly.

“It was just too important. I want to make sure that everybody understood that this is something that took months, weeks to gather information. Discussions and conversations. It’s not something that you can take lightly.”