When this whole Deshaun Watson whip idea started in early January, the beginning was modest.
In the seemingly unlikely case that Watson would push him out of Houston, the logic was determined by which teams had the right pull ammunition and salary cap. The Miami Dolphins fit, of course. So did the New York Jets, who lost their dream of landing Trevor Lawrence. And if you’re willing to get out of the box, you can imagine a team like the San Francisco 49ers, who look like they’re upgrading the quarterback spot and can suddenly create a good surplus by dropping Jimmy Garoppolo. These were meaningful destinations. As the weeks went by, we started drifting to the fantasy trading island.
Now, when January comes to an end, we are officially there under a coconut tree – where half of the NFL as a Hey, maybe landing place. The formula was simple: if there is even a slight dissatisfaction in the quarterback spot, the franchise is now entering the Deshaun Watson qualifying race. Hell, even the Arizona Cardinals (“Kyler Murray is from Texas!”) And the Green Bay Packers (“Aaron Rodgers is not happy!”) Are entering the increasingly pressing field of Wild West speculation.
And why not? If you’re an NFL team without a top 10 quarterback or a budding star of your own, you should probably be interested in Watson. Whether you have the ability to make that happen is a different story. The vast majority of teams speculated do not do so. And to get out of the field of non-nots, you really have to blow an offer into the stratosphere.
There is one team in the highly unlikely crowd of candidates that should consider inflating the obvious destinations with an overwhelming supply. Whether the move is out of character for this particular team or will be more expensive than what the head coach is usually comfortable with, it’s worth one franchise really to push forward and try to improve this whole thing.
The New England Patriots. It’s a team that has a much longer chance than Las Vegas would probably put in Watson’s pursuit.
It’s not hard to figure out why it can never work. The team’s 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft is nowhere near what several other contenders could offer. And from an overachievement point of view, the Patriots are the kind of team that will probably always select players in the bottom half of the draft, driven by the coaching and culture that Bill Belichick has instituted. It does not do any good if a team weighs the choice of New England in an offer. And the draft compensation also does not take into account that Belichick does not like the idea of paying any a quarter is very strong – even Watson’s average of five years, after trading, of $ 29.3 million a year, which is very economical for his considerable skills.
If it all ended there, the Patriots would already be in bad shape in the Watson trade talks. But it does not. There is behind-the-scenes beef between Patriots’ ownership and All-Pro NFL Svengali Jack Easterby, who has become a notorious driver in the Texans and apparently hides under the fingernails of virtually everything team owner Cal McNair strives for. Even because Nick Caserio, the former Patriots staff member, could have worked out a deal with the Patriots, it is highly unlikely that Easterby will not kill the possibility. We can also not ignore that Watson apparently did not enjoy his time under former coach Bill O’Brien, leaving the possibility that he would never want to play for O’Brien’s good friend Belichick, even with Belichick having great respect . for Watson’s talent.
Taken as a whole, it’s not just a formidable bucket of cold water thrown on a Patriots quest for Watson – it’s a tsunami of icebergs washing away the fantasy trading island. That does not mean Belichick should make the call.
The handling of Garoppolo will undoubtedly be cheaper. The set-up of Mac Jones will succeed less than a hack. And maybe it’s a surprise to look for another contingency option. But Belichick turns 69 in April. The connection in Nantucket and relaxing afternoons on his fishing boat can not be limited to the summer holidays forever. And if we did not learn it in 2020, we would never learn it: you can no longer compete or even rebuild with mediocre quarterbacks. Another hopeful veteran win calls for another disappointment from Cam Newton, who was underlined this season when the elite QBs dominated the conference title games.
And if we do not forget, Tom Brady’s week is coming. If ever there was a week to feel motivated to tackle the points ladder in New England, this is it. Oh, and probably next season as well, as Brady and his new Tampa Bay Buccaneers family are also committed to 2021.
While it’s not Belichick’s style to be driven to make a staff member based on Brady’s success after the Patriots, it would certainly be his style to acknowledge Watson for what he is. And this is a special product that makes him a top-five full-back. Belichick himself has said this in the past and made comments similar to those that fascinated him at Newton when Newton was at his best.
“Deshaun is a very talented player – certainly one of the best players in the league in his position we have faced,” Belchick said during a conference with Houston before joining Watson and the Texans in the 2019 faced. “[He] does a wonderful job on the deep ball, has a very good touch and accuracy, is a good decision maker – of course very athletic kid who can do a lot. … He’s a very good passerby. [He] can extend plays and throw out the bag, throw in the bag. And if he has to run the ball to put down a third, he is definitely capable of doing so. ”
Belichick’s praise of Watson, of course, does not mean everything. He constantly compliments good players he would never try to acquire in a crazy trading market. And Watson does not fit the bargains that Belichick wants to participate in. But every once in a while, when a player is special, Belichick will go beyond his usual structure and make a talent for difference. He did this for Stephon Gilmore when the price in free agency was as high as it could be. He did this for Antonio Brown when the chemical risk was through the roof. And he did it for Darrelle Revis when it was a rental situation that made sense inside the championship window. All of this shows that there are acquisitions for all seasons, even with someone who tends to play it more than most near the vest.
Belichick’s history of inbound industries is to produce reasonably good results for a very fair draft fee. Guys like Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Aqib Talib were basically bargains in terms of the concepts handed over. Belichick showed a much greater tendency to send players away for a high choice than to bring it in. But with someone like Watson on the board, this could be an exception.
We will forget to forget that the Patriots came up with some serious concepts for someone special. It was just not a player. It was Belichick himself – for a league-stimulated first, fourth and seventh round, which is arguably one of the biggest deals in NFL history, let alone the Patriots franchise. Twenty-one years later this month, there’s an opportunity on the table to at least appeal to what would immediately be the second largest deal in Patriots history. Maybe it requires a standout deal, including a multitude of choices in the first round and maybe some young players. Maybe it takes Watson himself in the hopes of giving up his trade-free clause to play for another coach who has some characteristics of O’Brien when it comes to making football more than a fun career. .
It could be a low percentage shot that requires more than New England is willing to give in. But if 2020 the franchise has learned anything, it’s so special that it’s only happening once in a long, long time at quarterback. Letting it go can be just as expensive as watching it flourish in the Super Bowl one year later. And there’s no better way to react to the new information than to take a chance that could set the future of the franchise long enough to move it past Tom Brady, rather than rummage for years under the shadow of it. he will throw years. come.
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Originally published