Less than four months after signing a $ 156 million extension with the Houston Texans, quarterback star Deshaun Watson is the target of commercial rumors amid Houston’s regime change. While it is hard to imagine Texans dealing with their three-time Pro Bowler, who is still only 25 and is coming out of a year of career, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported on Thursday that Watson himself “quietly approached teammates possibility of requesting an exchange. “
“If this is happening,” wrote Florio, “it may just be a strategic effort to ensure that your views are respected by the property. Regardless, this raises the stakes and crosses a bridge and potentially sets the stage for Watson eventually. decide that he would like to continue his career elsewhere. “
Again, is it a likely exchange? There is no indication of this. But this is the NFL, where things can change quickly. The fact that a potential acquisition team would be committed to just $ 56 million over the next two years, with Watson’s limit reached relatively low by 2022, suggests that commercial offers would certainly come if Houston was willing to listen.
With that in mind, here is a look at 12 of the most logical potential suitors, not including AFC South rivals that would likely be out of the question as possibilities:
Neither trainer Kyle Shanahan nor GM John Lynch went to any lengths to declare Jimmy Garoppolo the undisputed QB of the future, and it is clear that they will explore an update if they can. The problem is that they are not very suitable for negotiating a large number of choices, having already spent valuable drawing capital and financial resources at their current core.
A mega-deal for a QB star would seem a little out of character in Pittsburgh, but that’s only because they’ve been running with Ben Roethlisberger for a long time. In the event that Big Ben hangs up after 2020, there is no reason why the Steelers should not make that call. They have enough young talent on both sides of the ball, especially in defense, who could afford to give up a considerable number of choices if it meant making Watson Roethlisberger’s successor.
Motor City needs new blood across the board, and with Matthew Stafford likely ready to enter the commercial market, Lions could immediately revitalize interest in their franchise by adding a Watson caliber QB. They have enough space on the cover to make it work. They have high draft options to put on the table. And the QBs coach, Sean Ryan, held the same position alongside Watson in Houston from 2017-2018, QB’s first two seasons in the NFL.
Financially speaking, that would be difficult – especially with Matt Ryan still in the books with a big deal. But let’s say you can send Ryan somewhere else (to your old friend Kyle Shanahan, maybe). What better way to start the new regime than with a new superstar in QB? Watson grew up famous as a boy at the Falcons ball, and his hometown in Georgia is just a few hours away. Even though the compensation is expensive, the adjustment makes a lot of sense.
They are not exactly full of limit space, and acquiring Watson would also require negotiating Kirk Cousins, although that is not impossible (hello, San Francisco?). But GM Rick Spielman has proved bold and creative in QB before, whether it was hiring Cousins first or switching to Sam Bradford, etc. Watson would also give them a long-term and superior captain for an offense already filled with star talent (Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson). This would be the definition of a blockbuster with title aspirations.
John Elway’s change from GM’s daily obligations likely undermines the Broncos’ chances of spending too much to get Watson, but there is no doubt that he would still be involved in the negotiations, if they occurred. And he loves the idea of a proven QB, especially considering his impatience over the past half decade that has finally led him to find a new GM. Denver has already added some promising young talents (see: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton), so giving up a ton of choices may not be an impossible sale.
Look, Derek Carr is good, but don’t you dare try to tell us that Jon Gruden – the same guy who once compared Watson to * check notes * Michael Jordan – wouldn’t at least try to sell that to Mike Mayock. Gruden avoids spending big choices on QBs more than any of us recognize, so acquiring Watson would not only allow him to continue doing so, but would also put a little more dynamism into his attack. Watson passing Josh Jacobs and playing Henry Ruggs and Darren Waller? Playoffs on the deck.
Alex Smith is not the answer, and Dwayne Haskins’ departure may leave the club a little shy when it comes to spending a major asset on an unproven arm. Watson is the prototypical character of Ron Rivera’s culture – a stand-up leader on and off the field. As long as Dan Snyder is the owner of the team, Washington will also be perpetually in the veteran QB trade market. Watson himself may not take advantage of the chance to play for the WFT, but again, NFC East may present simpler paths to the playoffs.
GM Joe Douglas has the rare opportunity to define one of the first two QB candidates in April, and you can argue that he’s been working at that moment since he joined the team in the summer of 2019. But Watson represents an even rarer opportunity: the adding a proved first-rate young person. The Jets are overflowing with coverage space, they have incredibly high options to offer in a deal, and Watson’s presence alone would inject life instantly into one of the NFL’s top markets.
They are in an almost impossible situation when they enter 2021, but they consistently handle the terrible financial difficulties. More than that, the Saints are about to enter unknown territory after Drew Brees, and Sean Payton is not fooling anyone if he says he is 100% ready to turn the keys over to Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston. Watson would certainly adjust his own deal if it meant moving to New Orleans, and the Saints would be able to turn the page perfectly for a new generation of strife, even if it meant renouncing all kinds of future draft choices and / or separating another big name in the future.
His trainer, Matt Nagy, is as obsessed with the failures of his own franchise as anyone. The infamous guy turned the kicker tryouts into a spectacle for the whole team and then went crazy by adding tight ends to Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen’s short runs in position. Now he may have a chance to correct GM Ryan Pace’s biggest mistake, which the two have heard about for years: the decision to pass Watson over to Mitchell Trubisky. Imagine the goodwill they would instantly create in Chicago by finally making the right call and giving the Bears a genuine franchise call sign.
The departure of all matches. Wouldn’t it be the real Bill Belichickian of this team recovering from their first bad year in two decades and finding a way to land one of the best young QBs in the game? New England has been a logical landing site for months, still needing a true successor to Tom Brady and plenty of space for the cap, not to mention a trend towards draft pick picks. Watson, for his part, would certainly embrace the transition to a long-standing candidate. And then there are the front-office connections: the Texans have just made Patriots Lifer Nick Caserio their new GM, guaranteeing New England a clear path for trade negotiations.