What would it take to acquire Watson? One proposal
Eight NFL teams should be comfortable enough with their quarterback situation to pass on calling the Houston Texans about Deshaun Watson, who made his trade request official Thursday.
Buffalo (Josh Allen), Baltimore (Lamar Jackson), Cincinnati (Joe Burrow), Jacksonville (presumed top overall pick Trevor Lawrence), Kansas City (Patrick Mahomes), the Los Angeles Chargers (Justin Herbert), Seattle (Russell Wilson) and Tampa Bay (Tom Brady) — they’re good.
Every other team? Get an offer together and call new Texans general manager Nick Caserio.
The Watson news set NFL Twitter ablaze and rightly so — 25-year-old franchise quarterbacks rarely demand to be moved. It is a potentially unprecedented story. A blockbuster that will define the careers of Watson and each team’s front office and coaching staff.
Basically, this is an NBA move by Watson’s camp and it may end up serving as a blueprint for other under-contractbut-disgruntled players. That he has a no-trade clause gives him a lot of leverage, but not all of it because Houston could call his bluff and start fining him if he doesn’t report to training camp.
“They’re not trading him,” a league executive told The Denver Post on Thursday afternoon.
But when I told him and another executive that won’t stop me from working on a BroncosTexans proposal, they laughed and decided to help. So, let’s fix the Broncos …
Watson and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus.
The Texans get: Quarterback Drew Lock, first- and secondround picks this year, first- and third-round picks in ’22 and a second-round pick in ’23.
The Broncos get:
“I think that’s a win for Denver,” the first executive said.
“That’s definitely on the right track,” the second executive said. “I could see the Texans trying to get that and not give up Mercilus.”
Why would the Broncos want the 30-year old Mercilus? He has 54 sacks in 128 career games, but more importantly, has a manageable cap number of $12 million, which would allow general manager George Paton to wave goodbye to Von Miller and his team-high
$22.125 million.
“If the Broncos could get Whitney, that would be good for them because I think he still has a lot left,” the first executive said.
But unlike the trade for Joe Flacco two years ago or a potential Matthew Stafford deal this offseason, there is a big hiccup — Watson’s no-trade clause.
The Texans, in order, would have to decide if they want to trade Watson, find an acceptable offer and then present it to Watson for the rubber stamp. The key for his new team would be equal parts giving up enough to get Watson and not so much that he would turn down the trade for fear the talent cupboard was bare.
Under my proposal, the Broncos would have tight ends Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam, receivers Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler and the returning offensive line intact for Watson.
Robbed of several draft picks, the Broncos would have to cobble together a defense, which would test every item in coach Vic Fangio’s toolbox. But they could re-sign safety Justin Simmons, keep safety Kareem Jackson for one more year, team Mercilus with Chubb on the edges and make some impactbut-not-overly-expensive additions on the defensive line in free agency.
If the Texans want to play
hardball, what should be their play?
“If I was the Texans and I just signed Watson to an extension, I would say, ‘OK, you want to be traded? Give back the $27 million (signing bonus) and then we’ll talk about potential trade partners,’” the first executive said.
That would certainly test Watson’s desire to get out of Houston.
Watson to the Broncos is a long shot, there’s no doubt. But would he see the New York Jets or Miami as situations that are more enticing? Who knows what Watson’s camp wants outside of wanting to get away from the Texans in general and owner Cal McNair in particular.
But if you’re Paton, it’s worth a discussion, a phone call and an offer.