The position of the Houston Texans has not changed. New GM Nick Caserio is not interested in trading disgruntled full-back Deshaun Watson.
Watson, who is a very, very smart player, used the leverage to threaten to stay out of the 2021 season if the Texans do not trade. Caserio could cut the GM teeth in an unpredictable relationship with the three-time Pro Bowler, or he could just wait for the offer he could not refuse.
Maybe the Denver Broncos are the team to blow Caserio’s hair back. The new GM George Paton was a man of his word and involved in ‘every deal’ on the QB market this season.
With the latest QB dominoes trading in the form of Carson Wentz to Indianapolis, the Broncos’ options for a day-one upgrade from current starter Drew Lock have diminished. The good news?
The current game favors the Broncos as the frontrunner in the clubhouse to win the Watson game, according to FanDuel.
Two things have been made clear about the Denver Broncos this season: they want to move on from Drew Lock, and they’re interested in a Deshaun Watson deal. With the Houston Texans’ quarterback available, Denver could take a big step to land their next franchise star.
This is a big move for Denver, which was a little less than two weeks ago out of the top five for Watson’s next team. However, there’s an increasing noise connecting the QB with the Broncos, so it’s not too surprising that Denver has worked him up.
The future chance for players on FanDuel Sportsbook (available in Colorado only) still supports a Watson-to-Denver trade. Their chances rose to +300 just a few days ago, and they’re on the move again. The Broncos are now the favorites to beat Watson at +150.
What happens next for the Broncos? Do not miss any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get daily news about Broncos at your inbox!
Meanwhile, longtime Houston beat writer John McClain has refuted the idea that Denver was the favorite for Watson.
“I will assure you that Denver Broncos will not get Deshaun Watson from the Texans,” McClain said earlier this week during an appearance on KOAR radio in Denver.
Time will tell. McClain regards the New York Jets, and the team’s nest egg of multiple firsts, as the true leader to land Watson.
Meanwhile, Lock hears all the buzz and sees that his new GM is literally pursuing every available veteran QB on the market.
The word on the street is that the third-year caller is striving to block the noise and keep his head down to the grindstone in Broncos headquarters. It will be a great upset to see a tectonic QB trade in Denver swing out of season.
The most likely scenario, as head coach Vic Fangio is in a ‘win-or-else’ season, is that Paton will eventually have to deal with a free agent like Andy Dalton, Jacoby Brissett or Ryan Fitzpatrick, and drive it back with Lock for another year.
Just as attractive as a QB in the April NFL draft, a rookie is not going to save Fangio, or the Broncos, from the fate that awaits them in 2021. If there is no Watson to be found, or (even less likely) Russell Wilson, there is a clear probability that Paton and Fangio Lock will be considered the QB to give the Broncos the best chance of winning in 202.
It would, after all, be Lock’s second year, Pat Shurmur’s plan for the offensive coordinator, and his 18 NFL games have given him a more than solid sample size of exposure to the league and his best defense. If Denver loses the sensational QB deals this spring, you should not be surprised to see Paton return it with Lock.
And if / when that happens, you should not be surprised to see Lock show a clear improvement and win some ball games for the Fangio and Shurmur on the hot seat.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.
Follow Mile High Huddle Twitter and Facebook.
Sign in to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live stream podcasts!