Deshaun Watson Trade Prospects

It’s been a confusing month in Houston and around the NFL. Deshaun Watson, star quarterback of the Texans, has officially requested a trade. Some confusing developments have occurred during this time, as the Texans front office have stated they have no interest in trading Watson, yet have allowed rumors to leak on major news sources that they plan on doing the opposite. Unfortunately for them, the longer they put off the trade, the worse it will be for them. Here’s why.

Watson’s Current Value

However disappointing the Texan’s 2020 season may have been, Watson was outstanding. He played in all 16 games last season, which is not something to sleep on, as he is a mobile quarterback who has managed to remain healthy. He had an outstanding 70.2% completion percentage, which was second highest in the league. He also threw for 4823 passing yards, which, it should be noted, he did without star receiver Deandre Hopkins, who the Texans traded before last season in one of the most ridiculous trades the NFL has seen in recent history. Also, Watson’s 4823 passing yards were most in the league which is an impressive feat considering the high powered passing offenses that dominated the league this past season. Watson had 8.9 yards per attempt, which was an NFL best this year, even topping star Patrick Mahomes and MVP winner Aaron Rodgers. He also had the second best passer rating at 112.4. Finally, Watson threw for 33 touchdown passes along with only 7 interceptions (2). Looking at all this, one can easily see that Watson’s value is at its peak. Therefore, it goes without saying that the Texans could get a lot of valuable assets for Watson. They could get high profile players, large sums of money, and the ever-valuable first round draft pick. Instead, Houston happens to be actively lessening their potential profits.

Potential trade options

Deshaun Watson announced not too long ago that he wanted out. It’s understandable to see why, as the young star has been one of the top QB’s in the league ever since coming out of Clemson. However, the Texans have not been kind to him. They have not improved their offensive line, which has allowed Watson to get hit way too many times. They also traded away his star receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, for basically nothing. However, as mentioned before, the Texans have stated that they have no interest in trading him, but seem to actually be thinking the opposite. With this in mind, there are many teams that would love to acquire Watson. However, as always, only a few actually have a chance. Here are some of those teams.

  • The New York Jets

The Jets definitely have a solid chance of winning a huge prize this offseason. For starters, the Jets have a lot of cap space. A LOT OF CAP SPACE. They have the most in the league, and it’s easy to see why. They have very few high profile players and their payroll is small. This leaves a lot of room for negotiation with the Texans.

  • Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are an interesting team. Their defense this past year was disgusting(in a good way). Xavien Howard, their star cornerback, led the league with 10 interceptions. However, the offense left something to be desired. Now, every NFL fan loves Ryan Fitzpatrick. He has stolen the hearts of fans through his persistent nature even through his old age. However, if everyone is being honest, he’s not a long term quarterback solution. Then, there is Tua Tungoviloa, the Dolphins first round draft pick from last draft. While he was excellent at Alabama, he dealt with a serious hip injury, which is definitely a concern. He was healthy this year, but there are definitely concerns over the longevity of his play. Many people can see the possibility that he is not there to stay, so the Dolphins could absolutely benefit from gaining Watson.

  • New Orleans Saints

This shouldn’t really need an explanation. The Saints are losing Drew Brees, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever set foot on the gridiron. This vacuum in the QB slot is set to be filled by Jameis Winston, the Buccaneers former quarterback. Winston is infamous for his high interception numbers, finishing the 2019-2020 season with 30 interceptions (1). Many NFL fans have seen the memes about him having eye problems. There’s a reason for those. Besides this, the Saints are still an excellent team with a ton of high level weapons. Adding Watson could be huge for them.

  • San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco stinks. Sorry, that’s just how it is. The final nail in the coffin was their loss of star defensive end Nick Bosa to an ACL injury. Jimmy Garapolo was also injured this year, and fans have overall been somewhat disappointed with his play. So, could Deshaun Watson fill that hole? Absolutely. He’s a dynamic player who can really fit into any system, particularly a system that reached a Super Bowl when healthy just two seasons ago. He could be the spark they need as a team to begin filling some of their major gaps.

  • Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are just a classic case of not really having a quarterback. They don’t have one, and they need one. Deshaun Watson and Christian McCaffery would be an insane duo. Imagine Watson rolling out, drawing linebackers forward to prevent him from using his legs, and he dumps it off to McCaffery who could take it 99 yards to the house like it’s nothing. So, yeah, the Panthers are a definite contender.

 

Summary

None of these teams of locks, these are just teams that have the best odds at getting Watson (3). All teams have a serious need for him, and he could be successful with all of them. As anyone who has watched football in the last two years knows, Watson is dynamic, and will always be, no matter what team he ends up on.

 

  1. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
  2. https://www.nfl.com/stats/player-stats/
  3. https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bears/deshaun-watson-trade-bears-fall-among-favorites-oddsmakers