Less than four months after signing a $ 156 million extension with the Houston Texans, star quarterback Deshaun Watson has been the subject of trade rumors amid Houston’s regime change. Although it is difficult to predict that the Texans will complete their three-time Pro Bowler, who is only 25, and a career year, ProFootballTalk Mike Florio reported on Thursday that Watson himself ‘quietly had the opportunity with the teammates’. to request a trade ‘.
“If that happens,” Florio could write, “it can only be a strategic attempt to ensure that his views are respected through ownership. It increases regardless of importance and crosses a bridge and possibly lays the foundation for Watson to eventually to decide that he would like to continue his career elsewhere. ‘
Again, is a trade likely? There is no indication of that. But this is the NFL, where things can change in a hurry. The fact that a potential acquisition team would only be about $ 56 million hooked over the next two years, with Watson’s cap relatively low until 2022, suggests that trading offers will definitely roll in if Houston is willing to listen.
With that in mind, here’s a look at 12 of the most logical potential suitors, not AFC South competitors who would presumably be off the table if possibilities were included:
Neither coach Kyle Shanahan nor GM Lynch went to great lengths to declare Jimmy Garoppolo as the undisputed QB, and it is clear that they will investigate an upgrade if they can. The problem is that they are not quite as suitable to trade a large amount of options because they have already spent valuable concept capital and financial resources to their current core.
A mega deal for a star QB seems to Pittsburgh a bit out of character, but that’s just because they’ve been riding with Ben Roethlisberger for so long. In the event that Big Ben hangs it after 2020, there is no reason the Steelers will not make this call. They have enough young talent on both sides of the ball, especially the defense, that they can afford to hand over a significant number of choices if that means Watson becomes Roethlisberger’s long-term successor.
Motor City needed new blood all over the line, and because Matthew Stafford would probably enter the trading market himself, the Lions were able to revive interest in their franchise immediately by adding a QB of Watson’s caliber. They have enough headroom to make it work. They have a high concept to put on the table. And their QB coach, Sean Ryan, held the same position with Watson in Houston from 2017-2018, the first two seasons of the QB in the NFL.
Financially speaking, it will be difficult – especially with Matt Ryan still a big deal. But let’s say you can send Ryan elsewhere (maybe to his old friend Kyle Shanahan). What better way to kick off the new regime than with a new, young superstar at QB? Watson famously grew up as a Falcon ball boy, and his hometown in Georgia is only a few hours away. Even if the compensation would be expensive, it makes a lot of sense.
They are not exactly full of hood space, and the acquisition of Watson will also require Kirk Cousins, though that is not impossible (hello, San Francisco?). But Rick Spielman, GM, has been brave and creative at QB before, whether he would sign Cousins in the first place or trade for Sam Bradford, and so on. Watson would also give them a higher-term long-term captain for an offense already filled with star talent (Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson). This is the definition of a blockbuster with title aspirations.
The removal of John Elway from everyday GM duties is likely to hurt the Broncos’ chances of spending big money to land Watson, but he will no doubt still be involved in the negotiations should it take place. And he likes himself the idea of a proven QB, especially because of his impatience over the past half decade, has finally asked him to find a new GM. Denver has already added some promising young talent (see: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton), so it’s not an impossible sale to give up a ton of choices.
Look, Derek Carr is fine, but dare not try to tell us that Jon Gruden – the same man Watson once compared to * check notes * Michael Jordan – would not at least try to sell it to Mike Mayock. Gruden avoids spending more on QBs than any of us admit, and the acquisition of Watson will not only enable him to continue it, but also put a little more dynamism into his offense. Watson handed over to Josh Jacobs and thrown to Henry Ruggs and Darren Waller? Play-offs on the deck.
Alex Smith is not the answer, and Dwayne Haskins’ departure may leave the club a little embarrassed when it comes to the best asset to an unproven arm. Watson is the prototypical character for Ron Rivera’s culture – a stand-up leader on and off the field. As long as Dan Snyder owns the team, Washington is also always in the trade market for veteran QBs. Watson himself may not get the chance to play for WFT, but then the NFC East could offer simpler paths to the playoffs.
GM Joe Douglas has the rare opportunity to set a QB prospect on the top two in April, and you can argue that he has been working at the moment since joining the team in the summer of 2019. But Watson represents an even rarer opportunity: the addition of a proof youngest child. The Jets are overflowing with headroom, they have an incredibly high choice to bid in a trade, and Watson’s presence alone will instantly give life to one of the NFL’s top markets.
They are in an almost impossible situation with effect from 2021, but they are constantly manipulating serious financial problems. More so, the Saints are on the verge of entering uncharted territory after Drew Brees, and Sean Payton will not mislead anyone if he says he is 100% ready to turn the keys of Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston. Watson would surely adjust his own agreement if it meant moving to New Orleans, and the Saints could seamlessly change the page to a new generation of strife, even if it meant surrendering all kinds of future drafts and / or separation efforts. word. another big name along the way.
Their coach, Matt Nagy, is just as obsessed with his own franchise’s failures as anyone else. The man easily made the kicking trials famous in a team-wide spectacle, and then twisted woodcut by adding the shortcuts of Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen to the position. Now he may have the chance to correct the biggest mistake of GM Ryan Pace, which they have heard for years: the decision to pass Watson on to Mitchell Trubisky. Imagine the benevolence they would immediately bring to Chicago by finally making the right call and giving the Bears a bona fide franchise signal caller.
The match of all matches. Wouldn’t it be straightforward Bill Belichickian of this team to turn around from his first bad year in two decades and find a way to land one of the best young QBs in the game? New England has been a logical landing spot for months, and he still needs a true successor to Tom Brady and has plenty of headroom, not to mention a penchant for trades. Watson, in turn, would accept the transition to a longtime rival. And then there’s another connection to the office: the Texans made Patriots coach Nick Caserio their new GM, giving New England a clean slate to trade talks.