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NATE DAVIS
NFL

NFL record projections 2022: How does Deshaun Watson's suspension alter season outlook?

Nate Davis
USA TODAY

(Editor's note: These projections were originally published on July 26 but have been updated to reflect Deshaun Watson's six-game suspension.)

As August dawns, NFL training camps humming throughout the land, teams and fans are (mostly) bristling with optimism – typically the prevailing sentiment as new players are incorporated, possibilities for the upcoming season abound and the loss column remains clean.

This point in the NFL calendar is usually the most logical time to freshly evaluate the league, roster constructions largely finished and injuries generally at a minimum. Of course, NFL variables are a constant – one of them thrust anew into the equation Monday when retired federal judge Sue L. Robinson issued a six-game suspension to Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson after two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct over the last year-plus. 

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