RAISING ARIZONA
Why not Deshaun Watson to Cardinals for Kyler Murray?
Of all the destinations fans and media have projected for quarterback Deshaun Watson, I never considered Arizona until J.J. Watt signed with the Cardinals.
As long as the Houston-toPhoenix pipeline is flowing, once Texans general manager Nick Caserio decides to listen to trade offers, he should contact his Arizona counterpart, Steve Keim, to discuss a Watson-forKyler Murray trade.
You know Watson wouldn’t invoke his no-trade clause for an opportunity to be reunited with former Texans’ teammates like Watt, receiver DeAndre Hopkins, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and defensive end Angelo Blackson.
And Watson would jump at a chance to play for an innovative, offensive-minded coach like Kliff Kingsbury.
Imagine Watson throwing to Hopkins again in the desert, and it wouldn’t be a mirage.
Kingsbury, Keim and owner Michael Bidwill love Murray, and they would swear to the high heavens Murray wasn’t going anywhere, but considering Watson is a better, more established quarterback, they would be doing the team a disservice if they didn’t even listen to Caserio.
Or perhaps it’s the other way around — Keim is one of those general managers calling Caserio about a possible trade.
Murray would squawk about leaving an up-and-coming team in Arizona, his home for the last two seasons, but it would allow him to return to his home state and become the centerpiece of the Texans’ rebuild, a role Watson wants no part of but someone has to accept, right? Right? Uh, right?
Calling A.J. McCarron.
Before Caserio would consider a Watson-for-Murray trade, which would have to cost the Cardinals more than the quarterback, he would have to make sure of something vitally important — that Murray wouldn’t join the Oakland A’s rather than play for the Texans.
The Texans’ reputation in Houston and around the NFL is at a low point in franchise history. A player like Murray would ask himself — and his father, Kevin, of course — “If Watson wants out of there so desperately, why in the world would I want to play for the Texans?
Dad, get the A’s on the line.”
And if Murray returned to baseball to play in the A’s outfield, that eventually could hurt the Astros. That’s the last thing Houston fans would want to see. As it stands now, the Astros are the only viable professional franchise among our Big Three.
Arizona might resist the temptation to trade Murray because he’s entering the third year of his rookie contract. But he’s going to have to be paid, probably after next season, and an extension for Murray should be more than Watson’s $156 million.
Since the Cardinals hired Kingsbury after a 3-13 season in 2018 and made Murray the first overall pick, they’ve improved to 5-10-1 and 8-8. They play in the NFL’s toughest division, but they’ll be thinking playoffs next season.
Arizona is going in the opposite direction of the Texans, who have finished 11-5, 10-6 and 4-12 over the last three seasons. An advantage the Cardinals would have is knowing Watson is under contract through 2025.
What would the Texans and Cardinals be getting by swapping Watson and Murray? To begin with, both are coming off their best seasons.
Murray threw for 3,971 yards, completed 67.2 percent, averaged 7.1 yards per attempt, threw 26 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions and finished with a 94.3 rating. He also ran for 819 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Watson finished with 4,823 yards, completed 70.2 percent, averaged 8.9 yards per attempt, had 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions and compiled a 112.4 rating. He ran for 444 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, if not Murray, who should replace Watson? It says here there are only two other trade options that make sense, and none involve Carolina, Denver, Chicago or San Francisco — teams mentioned prominently in trade scenarios but can’t offer a franchise quarterback in return.
And the Texans have to get a quarterback they can sell to the fanbase as the franchise because they have to sell sponsorships, suites, club seats and season tickets.
The Jets can because they own the second overall pick. That would give Caserio a chance to draft the second-best quarterback behind Trevor Lawrence. As it’s shaping up now, that looks like BYU’s Zach Wilson.
The Dolphins can if Caserio thinks Tua Tagovailoa can be a franchise quarterback after having scouted him thoroughly with New England last year when he left Alabama as an underclassman coming off hip surgery.
If not Wilson or Tagovailoa, who could it be?
Maybe Caserio believes Sam Darnold, the third overall pick by the Jets in 2018, could be the Texans’ starter. That’s doubtful if he bases it on how Darnold played against New England. Darnold was pretty pathetic in three starts against the Patriots over three seasons. He missed the other three games.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves because the Texans have said they’re not trading Watson, and Caserio has been rejecting inquiries from other general managers interested in the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback. That could change after free agency, which begins March 17, and as we get closer to the first day of the draft on April 29.
Caserio has to be active in the quarterback market, anyway, because the Texans have only one on their roster, and he’s going to take an extended vacation that could last through the season.
If the Texans started practice today, they’d be so desperate they’d have to suit up Caserio as their quarterback, a position he played in college. Fortunately — for the Texans and Caserio — practice is another month away.