Zach Bolinger / Associated Press
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson favors negotiation with the New York Jets over the Miami Dolphins.
According to Armando Salguero do Miami Herald, Watson told people he wants to move to AFC East and, although the Jets and Dolphins interest him, the Jets are at the top of their list of potential landing sites.
Watson’s preference has largely to do with the hiring of Robert Saleh as his new head coach for Salguero. Watson is reportedly a big fan of Saleh who wanted the Texans to choose him for the technician job.
Speculation about a possible Watson trade has grown in the past two weeks because of an apparent lack of confidence between Watson and the Texans.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was one of many who reported that Watson was dissatisfied with the organization after she hired former New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio as its new general manager without consulting him.
It is not clear whether the relationship between Watson and the Texans can be repaired if the team hires the coach he prefers, but if it cannot be corrected, the Jets make sense as a landing point.
New York hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010 and hasn’t had a winning record since 2015, but an elite quarterback like Watson can change that.
Watson, 25, is coming out of the best statistical season of his career, completing 70.2% of his passes for the best 4,823 yards in the NFL, with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He also ran for 444 yards and three scores.
Despite this, the Texans were one of the worst teams in the NFL with a 4-12 record that was the result of a weak defense and the absence of a strong racing game.
The Jets have a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball, especially when it comes to adding offensive weapons, but Watson would be a great start.
And New York would not only give Watson a chance to play under Saleh, but would also put him in a division that is relatively weak, in addition to Buffalo Bills, who scored 13-3 and will play against Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. .
The New England Patriots dominated AFC East for two decades, but they are in decline and, although Miami finished 10-6 this season, it is highly questionable whether they will be able to win against Tua Tagovailoa as a defender.
As for the Texans, they will receive a substantial commercial package from the Jets if they negotiate with Watson.
New York could offer Houston the second choice in the 2021 draft, quarterback Sam Darnold and perhaps even more.
Houston could use that choice to select any quarterback in the draft other than Trevor Lawrence, or if the organization likes Darnold and his potential, he could choose the best player in any other position.
Darnold is only 13-25 years old as a starter in three seasons, and his 45 to 39 touchdown-to-interception ratio leaves a lot to be desired, but he was the No. 3 choice in the 2018 draft and is still only 23 years old.
If the Texans have no hope of fixing things with Watson and moving on with him as a defender in the franchise, they could do much worse than Darnold.