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Paul DePodesta brings his analytical strategies and experience to Cleveland Browns in 2016, when he was named director of franchise strategy.
DePodesta began a new chapter last week when he was named president of baseball operations for the Colorado Rockies.
He is familiar with the MLB, having previously worked for the then-Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and New York Mets. DePodesta also spent several seasons as Los Angeles Dodgers general Manager. Back in the MLB front office, DePodesta reflected on one of the most notable moves he helped orchestrate during his time with the Browns: the blockbuster deal for Deshaun Watson.
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Cleveland Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, left, talks with GM and general partner Jimmy Haslam before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at FirstEnergy Stadium on Aug. 21, 2022, in Cleveland. (Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports)
Watson has appeared in just 19 games in the three years since he signed an unprecedented, fully guaranteed $230 million contract shortly after Houston Texans agreed to send him to Cleveland in 2022. The 32 games Watson missed were either due to suspension or injury.
The decision continues to be criticized, with many seeking to place the blame on one or more of the Browns' decision makers. DePodesta offered some context, recalling that the decision to trade Watson was a collective choice.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (center) poses for a portrait with general manager Andrew Berry (left) and coach Kevin Stefanski during Watson's introductory press conference on March 26, 2022, at the Browns' training facility in Berea, Ohio. (Jeff Lange/USA TODAY Network/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)
“That’s what I would say, and I truly believe it,” DePodesta. told The Denver Post. “I believe that most decisions, especially important ones, are organizational, right? I don't believe in a “king scout” situation where there is one guy who makes every call… The jobs are too complex, the decisions are too difficult. They affect too many different things. So I always think that these kinds of collective decisions can be difficult to achieve unanimity [opinions] about such things. Everyone who was a part of it? We all own this. We just do it, it's part of the deal.”
Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta of the Cleveland Browns takes the field before a game at FedEx Field on October 2, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
NFL suspends Watson Started 11 games in 2022, but a shoulder injury cut short the quarterback's 2023 season. Watson was sidelined last October with a torn Achilles tendon.
Watson then re-injured the same tendon in January. The latest setback sidelined the three-time Pro Bowler for the entire season, but Watson broke that schedule.
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“Everyone doubts me. Everyone doesn’t believe in me,” Watson said in a video posted to his Instagram account in April that showed him training. “Everyone doesn’t think I can get back to where I was. But I know and I believe in the work that I’ve done, that I believe in myself… I know that I will be much better than before.”
The 30-year-old added to his argument for a return by saying he has “nothing to lose”.
Watson threw 19 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in a Browns uniform. He finished his five-year tenure with the Texans with 104 touchdowns to 36 interceptions.
These impressive numbers were achieved in just four seasons on the football field. Watson was ruled out of every game of the 2021 season due to a trade request, which ultimately led to a standoff between the quarterback and the team.
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