Tony Buzbee Says Browns, NFL Teams Didn't Reach out About Deshaun Watson Allegations

The attorney for the 22 women who have accused Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and misconduct in civil lawsuits said he hasn't heard from the Cleveland Browns or any NFL other teams this offseason.

Tony Buzbee told ESPN's John Barr that none of his clients have spoken with a representative from a specific team either.

"The Browns organization did not reach out to me," Buzbee said. "I didn’t expect them to do so, and can understand why they didn’t. But, knowing what I know, they probably should have."

On Sunday, the Browns confirmed they acquired Watson from the Houston Texans. While the three-time Pro Bowler is no longer facing criminal charges, he still faces 22 civil lawsuits centered around the assault allegations.

The Browns issued a statement saying they "spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson." The team added that it felt it "was pivotal that we, along with Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, meet with Deshaun to have a straightforward dialogue."

Cleveland said it executed an "extensive evaluation process," but many noted the absence of any detail about what the evaluation entailed. There was also no mention of reaching out to the women who leveled the allegations.

This statement came after news of how the Browns structured Watson's contract after agreeing to the trade with Texans. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported his base salary will be only $1 million for the 2022 season, thus limiting how much money he stands to lose from any suspension.

There's no going back for Cleveland. The trade is done, and Watson will collect every penny from a five-year, $230 million extension that's fully guaranteed.

But the criticism directed toward the Browns is unlikely to quiet down anytime soon.