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As teams line up for an opportunity to trade for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, the lawyer representing the 22 women who have sued Watson for inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions says that none of those teams have reached out to him or his clients for more information.
Via TheAthletic.com, Tony Buzbee said no NFL teams have contacted him or his clients to discuss Watson. Those teams are instead speaking directly to Watson or his lawyer, Rusty Hardin.
Buzbee contends that the rush to trade for Watson “demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the civil process.”
The civil process isn’t very difficult to understand. The 22 plaintiffs have cases that will continue to make their way through the civil process, culminating in settlement, dismissal, or jury verdicts. Watson could lose any, some, or all of the cases. He could win any, some, or all of them.
Although Buzbee’s objective continues to be securing justice for his clients, a zealous approach that could skew whatever he may have to say in a way that paints Watson in the most negative light possible, a prudent examination of the situation compels getting both sides of the story before making a judgment as to whether and to what extent the cases will create a distraction for his next team or, eventually, a suspension.
With Watson avoiding criminal charges, the teams seem to be willing to accept the risk that Watson will eventually be found liable for violating the rights of one or more of the plaintiffs. To the extent that the interested teams hope to fully appreciate those risks, it makes sense to hear from Buzbee.
Then again, a review of the transcripts from the depositions taken on Tuesday will go a long way toward demonstrating the evidence that Buzbee has, and the arguments that he will make. Much is revealed about a case by the questions the lawyer poses to the defendant during questioning.
There’s also no guarantee that Buzbee or his clients would cooperate. It still makes sense to attempt to secure that information and to factor it into any eventual decisions made about whether to employ Watson.
Sure, Buzbee may opt for hyperbole and theatrics in communicating with the interested teams. That doesn’t mean he should be ignored. If the team that trades for Watson opts to not even try to get information from those who are accusing the quarterback of wrongdoing, it won’t fully appreciate the extent of the risk it is assuming.
If the team is willing to proceed despite that risk, that’s the team’s decision to make. Given the stakes, it makes sense to cast the widest possible net before accepting the possibility that adding Watson to the roster will create complications that possibly haven’t been fully contemplated or understood.
