The Browns won’t be able to simulate plays where the pocket breaks down until training camp, but the tape from Watson’s four seasons with the Texans showed he’s capable of delivering sharp passes when defenders are chasing him.
Those abilities — and Watson’s overall mobility — will be a big piece of how the Browns choose to evolve their playbook to maximize his traits. Changes are likely coming to coach Kevin Stefanski’s playbook, which featured play-action oriented passes and a heavy emphasis on rushing plays, although the Browns won’t feel pressured to alter too much if it’s not needed.
With a quarterback like Watson, most systems can work.
“There are different things we will be able to do,” Van Pelt said. “I think moving forward with him, we will take some of the things that he did well in Houston and implement them into our system. At the same time, obviously, we are a run-first offense, and we are never going to shy away from handing the ball off to (RBs) Nick (Chubb) and…