The business market for Deshaun Watson is starting to recover and it appears that the Houston Texans quarterback prefers to land on AFC East.
According to a report by Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Watson told people that his favorite destination would be the New York Jets, followed by the Miami Dolphins.
The reason reported for Watson’s preference for New York is not the big market or strong shot (rim shot), but the hiring of former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as his new coach. Watson’s reverence for Saleh is high enough that he asked the Texans for an interview with him for the position of coach, which the team did not do. This is in line with a previous report by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.
Saleh is widely seen as a strong signing for the Jets after four years leading the defense of the Niners, who took fifth place in the NFL in total defense this season, despite the absurd number of injuries. He is also seen as a player coach and a charismatic presence in the locker room, earning the endorsement of Richard Sherman and others on your way out.
The divide between Watson and the Texans goes back to how the Texans handled their search for coaching and general manager, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Watson valuing a coach enough to follow him to New York. Texans would probably not hate the idea of an exchange with the Jets, considering what the team could give them.
Jets in good position to negotiate with Deshaun Watson
Look, no team normally would you like to negotiate a franchise quarterback like Deshaun Watson. Texans clearly want to keep Watson, but sometimes the situation is toxic enough for you to move on. And if the Texans decide to move on, they can do worse than the package the Jets could probably assemble.
Start with choice # 2 in the 2021 NFL draft. It will not give you a Trevor Lawrence – not while the Jacksonville Jaguars do what is universally expected of them – but it will give you the choice between BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields as their next defender in the franchise, and that’s what Texans will want more if they are giving up Watson. The Jets also have the 23rd overall choice this year, thanks to the replacement of Jamal Adams.
Watson for New York would also make Sam Darnold expendable, so his inclusion would give Houston an opportunity to start in Week 1 if they wanted to give the next QB time to acclimate. And who knows, maybe Darnold will become a quarterback of the franchise now that he has escaped the gravity of Adam Gase.
It is important to note that Dolphins can offer a basic package similar to the previous one with choice # 3 (thanks Bill O’Brien!), Choice # 18 and Your Tagovailoa, but what they don’t have is an extra first around the draft next year. If the Jets are going to Watson, you would think that a Darnold package and three (or more) choices from the first round, including this year’s second overall, would be very tempting.
If Texans want even more than that, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports that the Jets are “willing to listen” to a potential deal that would earn them Matthew Stafford, who recently requested a deal, and choice # 7 for No. 2 to choose.
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