Wow. Okay, didn’t realize his level of support from the fans.
Put yourself in Berry's shoes from a few years back when you were coming off a playoff run only a few years removed from 0-16.
You have the O-Line, the RB, the TE,
good nuff WRs and had the top-pick on what 'should have been' your franchise QB. The defense wasn't great but
good-nuff.
The QB shows up fat and out of shape going into TC and no surpise the fat out of shape QB gets hurt and plays terrible. He refuses to take care of the injury because he's on his last year of his rookie contract and he's been making noise about a big extension, so he plays through.
He didn't do the minimum work in the offseason, and it cost the entire team. The team has a losing record, primarily due to the immature QB.
THEN he demands the second highest contract in the league. The GM has not liked what Baker had done and had gotten word of his outrageous contract demands so he began working on a deal for a younger QB who had already established himself as a franchise QB.
Baker hears of it and demands a trade.
AB had been putting in the work on a deal and had one in place. Two 1st round picks and a large contract extension that WASN'T fully guaranteed. Should have been enough but Deshuan's team had many teams interested, ONE OF THEM THE STEELERS who dropped out pretty early.
There were three teams left standing.
Deshuan's team made AB's offer public to leverage to up the ante and Watson said he wouldn't play in Cleveland. Baker had already burnt bridges, but AB publicly kept the door open.
HASLAM panicked thinking Baker had already walked, and he didn't have a QB so he stepped-in with THREE 1st round picks plus extra picks AND the fully guaranteed contract.
HASLAM'S PANICKED MOVE KILLED THE TEAM.
Complete rebuild due to HASLAM.
Jimmy knows he made his bed, AB and Stefanski have been the public fall guys, neither can do their jobs correctly due to HASLAM's panicked move.
Had Jimmy let AB do his job, AB's offer would have been rejected. AB would have still had Baker under contract for one year and would have kept him. Baker still needed maturation, so I doubt he'd suddenly 'get-it' but AB would have had three 1st round picks and tons of cap to make moves.
It really could have worked out if Jimmy Haslam had not panicked and forced the Deshuan Watson trade.
