Houston has a huge problem. Deshaun Watson wants the Houston Texans to trade him after a failed promise to consult him about filling vacancies for the team’s general manager and head coaching positions. The New York Jets are among the numerous suitors in desperate need of a quarterback that would love to bring Watson to their town via a trade with Houston.
But can the LOL Jets really pull off this monster trade for an All-Star quarterback? The Jets have the cap space and draft capital to facilitate a trade with the Texans, and are among the front runners. They’ve also been interviewing coaches for their vacant head coaching position. If the Jets hire Kansas City OC Eric Bieniemy, could they add Watson next?
Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he has control of where he ends up. He hinted in the past that he’d love to play for a black head coach. The Texans indicated they won’t hire interim head coach Romeo Crennel as their next head coach. Houston also didn’t ask Kansas City for permission to interview Bieniemy, who interviewed with multiple teams this week, including the Jets.
As a lifelong, suffering Jets fan, I approve of this potential trade. Why waste three years trying to get a new quarterback up to speed, especially someone who’s not the “chosen one,” aka Trevor Lawrence?
Which Teams Want Watson?
Numerous teams are in dire need of a quarterback this offseason. The San Francisco 49ers are also among the favorites to land Watson in a trade. The Niners were in the Super Bowl last season, but failed to advance to the playoffs this season.
The Indianapolis Colts will await the future of Philip Rivers. If old man Rivers decides to finally hang it up and retire, then they’ll be in the hunt for a quarterback. The Texans likely won’t be keen on trading their disgruntled star QB to a division rival.
John Elway hasn’t been able to find a franchise quarterback to lead the Denver Broncos ever since Peyton Manning retired. Drew Lock is average at best, when he’s healthy. The Chicago Bears backdoored a playoff berth in the NFC wild card, but they’re also shopping for a real quarterback after the Nick Foles/Mitch Trubisky quarterback-roulette disaster.
| DESHAUN WATSON POSSIBLE TRADE TEAMS |
- New York Jets
- New England Patriots
- San Francisco 49ers
- Chicago Bears
- Washington Football Team
- Indianapolis Colts
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Miami Dolphins
The New Orleans Saints will need a new quarterback if Drew Brees decides to retire. Taysom Hill took over for a couple of weeks when Brees broke a dozen ribs, but the Saints’ stifling defense kept them in those games. Hill is a versatile player as Sean Payton’s Swiss army knife, but the Saints need a traditional passer like Watson.
Then, there’s Bill Belichick. The Patriots don’t overspend for players, but this could be an exception, as Watson could be a key player to rebuild the team around.
Chris Mortensen reported that the Miami Dolphins are an option. Rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa didn’t impress Miami’s brass, so they could ship Tua and picks to Houston for Watson.
Ugly Year for the Texans
The McNair family hired new general manager Nick Caserio without consulting Watson, which broke a direct promise they made to him months ago. Caserio comes from the New England Patriots, where he spent the last 15-plus years as their head of personnel.
This latest drama in Houston comes a couple of weeks after the now-famous rant by JJ Watt, in which he called out his teammates for lacking professionalism and slacking off in games.
The Texans have been a sh-t show ever since Bill O’Brien installed himself as new general manager. The O’Brien era came to an ugly end midseason when the Texans finally axed the mercurial coach and inept general manager. Texans fans are still livid that O’Brien traded future Hall of Famer De’Andre Hopkins in the offseason.
Watson found out about the new GM hire via Twitter. Ouch, that totally blows. As soon as word got out about the new GM in Houston, that news was quickly buried by Watson trade talk.
LOL Jets Interested in Watson
There were rumblings out of Gotham that general manager Joe Douglas had a big trade up his sleeve. Could the Watson situation be one of the trades he’s cooking up?
Watson’s cap hit will only be $16 million in 2021, but it jumps to $40 million in the following season. Watson recently signed a four-year contract extension worth $156 million, including $110 million in guaranteed money.
Watson, 25, is still a young buck. He posted one of his best seasons to date and without DeAndre Hopkins. In 2020, Watson led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards. He also tossed 33 touchdowns against only seven interceptions. In 54 career games during his first four seasons, Watson threw 104 touchdowns and 14,539 yards.
The Jets missed the #1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but with a 2-14 record, they secured the #2 pick. They also have a pair of first-round picks in 2022 at their disposal. They also could toss current QB Sam Darnold into the mix. Darnold’s play improved over the last month of the season, so he could be worth a third-rounder.
The Texans don’t have a pick until the third round in the 2021 NFL Draft. Trading Watson could deliver them some much-needed draft picks.