Agent's Take: Dissecting and trying to make sense of the Deshaun Watson discipline case - CBS Sports

The long-anticipated decision of whether Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson violated the NFL's personal conduct policy was issued on Monday by disciplinary officer Sue L.

Watson's case was the first under a revamped process in the NFL collective bargaining agreement where commissioner Roger Goodell is no longer the sole arbiter of personal conduct discipline.

Robinson found Watson in violation by engaging in sexual assault, conduct that poses a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another person and conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL in her 16-page ruling.

The victory seems hollow because Watson's discipline seems light to many as the NFL was seeking an indefinite suspension where he could apply for reinstatement after one year.

Although 24 different women filed civil lawsuits against Watson alleging inappropriate sexual conduct by him during massage sessions that took place while he was with the Texans, and he reportedly booked sessions with at least 66 women over a 17-month span, the NFL's case was based on only four of the women who sued him.

A key finding by Robinson was Watson's conduct being a non-violent sexual assault despite referring to his actions as egregious and predatory.

That's because Jameis Winston was suspended three games in 2018 for violating the personal conduct policy for groping a female Uber driver, which was a negotiated settlement between the NFL and NFLPA.

It was the most severe personal conduct penalty for a non-violent sexual assault. .

While it may be entirely appropriate to more severely discipline players for non-violent sexual conduct, I do not believe it is appropriate to do so without notice of the extraordinary change this position portends for the NFL and its players."

Rice was initially suspended for two games under the personal conduct policy but was subsequently suspended indefinitely after video of his domestic violence incident against his wife became public

Robinson apparently found some parallels in Watson's situation where the NFL was advocating for a harsher penalty than prescribed for in the policy "without the benefit of fair notice" and "consistency of consequence." It wouldn't be surprising for there to be a revision to the personal conduct policy where the punishments for non-violent sexual assault are clearly stated because of Robinson's ruling, just as changes were made after the Rice ordeal

The NFLPA's argument that ownership and league management have been traditionally held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline as specifically stated in the personal conduct policy, but have escaped punishment for similar or worse conduct, seems to have resonated with Robinson

The NFL is back in the position it was trying to avoid by becoming the final arbiter of personal conduct discipline in the first case under the revised process

Robinson has given the NFL an opening to plausibly apply more discipline by calling Watson's conduct predatory and "more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL."