With the start of the NFL season less than two weeks away, the Houston Texans want to trade All-Pro quarterback Deshaun Watson, but the Miami Dolphins balked at their mammoth compensation demands.
The Texans want a serious haul of draft picks for Watson, including three first-round picks and two second-round picks. The Dolphins have three first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 NFL Draft, which the Texans are eyeing.
The Dolphins love what Watson can do on the field, but they’re not interested in paying a hefty price tag for a player with legal issues. Both the FBI and the Houston Police department are independently investigating Watson for sexual assault allegations involving 10 women. A total of 22 massage therapists filed a civil suit against Watson for sexual misconduct. Watson hasn’t been charged yet, but the investigation continues.
The Texans are in the middle of their own internal strife, and the Watson situation is compounding their front-office problems. An unhappy quarterback willing to sit out the season to force a trade is a headache, but toss in the multiple, alleged sexual assault charges, and it’s a total disaster in Houston.
Watson also has a no-trade clause in his contract, so there are only a handful of teams the Texans can talk to on Watson’s list.
The Texans had a chance to trade Watson before the sexual assault allegations surfaced and prior to the 2021 NFL Draft. The Texans could have sent Watson to the Jets or Dolphins in a trade already, but their steep asking price was too high for a quarterback with mounting legal problems. The Jets were itching to make the trade, but the LOL Jets sidestepped an impending PR disaster with Watson’s legal issues.
Unless the Dolphins pony up five premium draft picks, including a trio of first-rounders, Watson will remain with the Texans. The Dolphins are +3500 odds to win Super Bowl 56. Without Watson at the helm, the Texans are the last team on the NFL futures board at +30000 odds.
