Texan big shots Cal McNair and Nick Caserio insisted that they intend to keep Deshaun Watson, but the quarterback is still looking for a way out of Houston. With JJ Watt now gone, the four-year-old quarterback now stands out as the unquestionable Texan’s cornerstone player.
But potential destinations for the passer with the no-trade clause are emerging. Watson is intrigued by the Broncos and 49ers, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com indicating (video link) both franchises are on the featured visitor’s list of teams they would agree to join in exchange for.
Former Texans teammate Kareem Jackson confirmed that he and Watson had several discussions about Denver as a landing site, and 9News’ Mike Klis also notes that the Broncos won appeal with the disgruntled defender (Twitter link) The Broncos were in the mix for Matthew Stafford, but they were not one of the teams mentioned as offering his first round choice (No. 9 overall) to him. Carolina and Washington would have done that. The Panthers are expected to pursue Watson aggressively.
New Broncos GM George Paton it came from a Vikings team that built its most recent playoff cores through the draft, and he refused to include youth members from his new team in an agreement with the Lions. But Paton-Rick Spielman-was Vikings also made spectacular moves for QBs Brett Favre and Kirk Cousins. The Broncos have a number of young players in positions of skill – wideouts Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler and tight end Noah Fant – but the quarterback lacked a true answer for five years. And they can’t match the Jets and Dolphins for draft capital. Miami and New York have three and four choices in the first round until 2022, respectively.
The 49ers, who hold number 12 overall, also questioned Stafford – to the point that the defender believed he could legitimately be going to San Francisco. They are also home to young talent, in George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. While Kyle Shanahan previously indicated that Jimmy Garoppolo was on his way to return as a 49ers starter, the team that investigated Stafford certainly points to the search for possible updates.
As for the original suitors linked to Watson, Fowler notes that the Dolphins appear ahead of the Jets as the destination for the three-time Pro Bowler. The Jets have already been reported to be ahead of the Dolphins in a commercial search that has not yet started, but New York does not appear to be especially high on the quarterback’s list. The Dolphins do not have the skill groups (at the moment) that the Broncos and 49ers do, but they hold choices # 3 and # 18 in this draft and have two second-round choices this year as well. Having said all that, Watson is not expected to be veto-happy when it comes to potential negotiations.
Watson’s list of prospective destinations does not seem to matter at this point, however, with Fowler noting that other teams see Caserio as committed to maintaining him. Watson’s $ 39 million per year contract runs through 2025.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.