Ben Watson spent each of his first six seasons with the Patriots.
Berea, OH (Sports Network) -
The Cleveland Browns shifted their focus at the tight end position on Friday, signing unrestricted free agent Benjamin Watson to a multi-year contract and also releasing Steve Heiden.
Financial terms of the deal for Watson, a former member of the New England Patriots, were not disclosed, but the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported it to be three-year pact worth $12 million, including $6.35 million guaranteed.
"We viewed Ben as one of the top all-around tight ends in the free agent market," said Browns general manager Tom Heckert. "Because of his athleticism and intelligence, he has proven valuable as both a receiver and blocker during his career, and has performed well in both facets. He comes from a winning program in New England and possesses the traits that we like in a player. We feel as though he can help us in many different areas and we are excited about his addition to our team."
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Big Ben, bad choices, and more free agency
By Tony Moss, NFL Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
Ben Roethlisberger now has as many sexual assault allegations on his resume' - two - as he has Super Bowl titles. Wanna wager which category gets to No. 3 sooner? I'm no gambler, but I bet those odds would be something close to neck-and-neck in Vegas.
Whether you believe the second allegation of sexual misconduct against Roethlisberger in an eight-month span or you don't, what is not worthy of debate is the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback's profound stupidity. While Andrea McNulty's civil case over a 2008 rape allegation against Roethlisberger was still ongoing, he apparently made the wonderful choice of pointing himself, with his entourage and a host of college-age females, to the otherwise unattended back room of a dance club in Milledgeville, GA. It was there that a 20-year-old coed charges the quarterback assaulted her in a women's restroom early Friday morning.
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