Betting on the acquisition of a revolutionary quarterback is in vogue now, as the NFL teams try to fabricate the fast track to containment. Detroit Lions negotiated Matthew Stafford for the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for fellow QB (and former No. 1 in the overall draft pick) Jared Goff and a handful of premium round choices.
The Lions received Goff, a choice in the first and third round of the draft in exchange for Stafford, 33, who enters his 13th season in the NFL.
The Houston Texans can follow suit if the machinations of disaffected star QB Deshaun Watson are fruitful. The high level of interest around the league in Stafford means that the price to get the 27-year-old Watson will rise dramatically, so the question is: how bad does the Denver Broncos’ new GM, George Paton, want to participate in this potential deal?
Perhaps Paton gave a tip when he entered the register just days after being hired for his comprehensive business search philosophy.
“It is very important to be involved in everything so as not to lose a business that can reach you,” said Paton. “Then we will be aggressive – involved. But that does not mean that we are going to jump.”
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Teams like the San Francisco 49ers were among the finalists in the Stafford draw, along with the Broncos and three other teams, meaning that the highly motivated pendulum to land a plug-and-play star QB will swing for Watson in Houston . Again, the potential cost of acquiring Watson has increased dramatically in the wake of the Stafford-by-Goff tectonic trade, leading some to wonder how many choices in the first round will be needed to get Houston’s three-time Pro Bowler.
Despite the high price, Paton’s statements suggest that the Broncos are likely to be involved in any Watson negotiations, as long as the Texans capitulate to QB’s disgruntled demands and make it available to the highest bidder.
Obtaining a QB of Watson’s caliber could indeed launch the Broncos into the stratosphere of containment, but on the other hand, such a move could also risk mortgaging the entire future draft of the team. Another less talked about ramification of even courting the idea is how it undermines Drew Lock’s confidence.
If the Broncos cannot replace Lock and he remains entrenched as a starter by default, Paton will have a gap to fill with his third-year QB.
Having Lock on an affordable rookie contract would allow Paton to allocate those precious salary cap dollars to other glaring on-call breaches, and keep Denver’s precious starting capital in check. If Paton strays and misses Watson (or any other proven veteran inexplicably pushed into the NFL trading block between now and the day of the draft), he will have little choice but to trust Lock.
The failure of the Texans’ front office to fully and comprehensively involve Watson in the team’s off-season hiring moves resulted in QB’s willingness to abandon the ship.
Nobody is comparing Lock to a generational talent like Watson, but suffice it to say that Lock is not feeling the love in Denver right now. Texans failed to support Watson in the same way, which provides a warning story.
The Broncos were exposed as a team that did more than just kick the tires in a possible Stafford change and now Paton has to clean up the consequences in terms of maintaining (if not repairing) the Broncos’ relationship with Lock. Lock may not have the influence Jay Cutler had in January 2009 coming out of a Pro Bowl spot, but he certainly is proud and Broncos fans know how this story ended.
Lock’s pride has undoubtedly been hurt by the Stafford news in the past 24 hours, so we hope Paton’s maneuvers don’t backfire and lead to a sour relationship with Lock that can’t be repaired.
The Broncos could have no choice but to roll with the old QB of the second round for a last breath in 2021 and you know what they say. If you cannot be with the one you love, ‘love the one you are with’.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.