Butanmok: The Browns are still exploring a trade for Deshaun Watson, and will have to offer multiple first-round picks,

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns, who have been doing their due diligence on Deshaun Watson for months, continue to explore a trade for the controversial quarterback, sources tell cleveland.com, but must be prepared to surrender multiple first-round picks, Baker Mayfield and possibly other players.

With a grand jury deciding on Friday not indict Watson on criminal charges in connection with accusations from 22 massage therapists who accuse him of sexual assault and harassment, the Browns have moved forward with their possible strong pursuit of the quarterback they passed on in the 2017 draft. That year, they traded down from No. 12 with the Texans and enabled them to draft him there.

The Browns are still conducting their own thorough investigation into Watson and the allegations, and must not only be comfortable with what they find but also confident that no such accusations will be made in the future.

They must also receive the green light from Browns ownership, who would have to be prepared for the enormous backlash that will accompany such a move.

The Browns would have to put a strong support program in place for Watson, which would have to include working with women’s groups, undergoing counseling and making restitution.

But it wouldn’t be the first time they took a chance on a player with a past, including Kareem Hunt, who was captured on video kicking a woman in the hallway of his downtown Cleveland apartment building. The Browns have helped rehabilitate Hunt and he’s become a positive influence who gives back to the community. He’s still a work in progress, but they’ve surrounded him with a robust and multi-pronged support system and he’s turned himself around.

They gave defensive tackle Malik McDowell a second chance last season despite his criminal past, and he went off the rails after the season when he stepped outside of the Browns’ support structure. The Browns were hopeful they had not only found a tremendous talent, but also changed a life. They are still involved in McDowell’s care and are hopeful he can get well.

It would be the same for Watson, who still has civil suits pending and will likely be suspended by the NFL for the first part of the season under the personal conduct policy. The Browns would have to set forth a comprehensive plan and implement a zero-tolerance policy. It’s not an easy decision, and one they’re taking very seriously.

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If they decide to seriously pursue a trade — and they seem to be leaning that way — they’ll have to act fast and come big with an offer to the Texans that will include multiple first-round picks and most likely Mayfield.

They’ll also have to sell Watson — who has a no-trade clause in his contract — on the notion that they’re an elite quarterback away from winning a Super Bowl. They can point to the championship-caliber defense, running game and offensive line.

They strengthened their case considerably Saturday by trading with Dallas for four-time Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper, who will make any quarterback look good, let alone one of the best in the NFL.

They’re also trying to keep Jarvis Landry by lowering his $16.379 cap hit, while also granting him permission to seek a trade. If he knows Watson might be coming and Cooper is here, he might want to stay.

The Browns will also continue to add to the receiving pile either in free agency or the draft. It’s a deep class, and even without a first-round pick, they could land a good one in the second or third round.

Their trade offer will obviously have to include Mayfield, who wouldn’t be sticking around with Watson here. But unlike some of the other teams interested in Watson, the Browns have a starting-caliber quarterback to throw into the mix. The Browns, who would save Mayfield’s $18.86 million salary for 2022, might have to surrender other key players to pull it off, but if they really want to win a Super Bowl — and they do — they might have to acquiesce.

If the Texans don’t want Mayfield, the Browns would have to trade him elsewhere — and there would be suitors.

Another player who comes to mind in the trade package is two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward. There’s no way the Browns would want to part with their lockdown corner, but if the Texans insist and it gets the deal done, they shouldn’t rule it out.

The Browns have shown they can draft defenders, and they’d find a way to replace him, perhaps even in this draft. They’d also have another starting cornerback on a rookie contract in Greg Newsome II, and not for the $19 million a year Ward will get in his upcoming extension. As it is, he’s heading into his fifth-year option year at $13.294 million.

New Texans coach Lovie Smith is a defensive coach, and might see the wisdom in such a move. With Watson averaging $39 million a year through 2025 and Myles Garrett’s big cap hits kicking in for 2023, the Browns will need to save some pennies somewhere. Watson — who’s five months younger than Mayfield and will turn 27 in September — also has an out in his contract after 2023, with only $5.4 million in dead cap space thereafter.

According to NFL Network, the Saints and Panthers have already made offers for Watson, and other teams are willing to give up the three first-round picks the Texans are seeking. Watson also plans to meet with any potential suitors before making a decision.

If the Browns bring him in for a visit — and the chances are increasingly likely — they should have Cooper, Nick Chubb and Garrett greet him at the door. There aren’t many teams with the resources and roster of the Browns, and it makes for a tantalizing presentation.

The Browns passed on the player Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called “Michael Jordan’' in 2017, and now they have a second chance to land him.

It’s a bold and controversial move, but one they just might find worth making.

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