The 49ers finally work in the Deshaun Watson trade talk after most early discussions of national reporters revolved around the Dolphins and Jets. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports San Francisco is one of the teams that Watson found interesting.
However, that does not necessarily mean a deal is imminent, and the Texans persevere in their willingness to let Watson sit out the entire season in hopes of finally saving their relationship with their franchise caller.
This can lead to a long distance between the two parties that lasts through the season. If they decide to continue with Watson, Peter King noted in his Football Morning in America column that it could happen as early as September. It would be a scenario where Houston exhausts all avenues before giving in.
Let’s go to a world where this is happening and Houston is starting September with calls about the QB.
While it would leave Watson with his new club so much behind that he might not be able to start the season, it could make a solid trade package for San Francisco easy to pull the trigger.
Assuming it includes at least three picks in the first round, there’s a high probability that those picks will all be late picks, given what Watson would do for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers’ attack. They also have this year’s number 12 choice on the rankings and do not have to include it in the group choices.
It will also make a team like the Jets of Dolphins less attractive trading partners, as they no longer have the second and third picks in the draft this year – one of the main reasons why they were nominated as possible candidates.
The long wait would also be easier due to the 49ers’ willingness to stick with Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s not the ideal fullback, but they’re not itching to separate from him either. If they have to sit on their hands while waiting for Watson to be available, they can do so in the knowledge that they have a signal caller they are comfortable with if a trade is never established.
A name like that Watson even whispers in the commercial market will make him a story until he goes to perform for Houston again or until he finally moves. It sounds like it could wait a long time for a final trade, but San Francisco is in a good position to wait, and Watson is a potential trading target worth waiting for.