Patriots have a shot at Watson
Given that new Texans general manager Nick Caserio spent the past two decades with the Patriots, you have to look at teams with ties to New England when trying to figure out which would be most likely to negotiate a deal with Houston for Deshaun Watson.
This obviously starts with the Patriots, who have the fourthmost cap space ($57.3 million) according to Over The Cap.
And thanks to Bill Belichick, the Pats also have a lot of draft pick ammo. Even though they don’t have a top pick, they may have enough capital to put together a deal, and may be willing to part with it after experiencing life without an elite passer this season -- a key factor in failing to make the playoffs.
Given Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ former ties to New England, Miami is also in play. Flores gave Tua Tagovailoa every chance to succeed, but also showed no qualms about benching the rookie and thus would likely be interested in upgrading the team’s prospects with a passer of Watson’s caliber, perhaps even at the expense of including Tagovailoa in a potential deal.
The Dolphins also have the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, which they acquired from the Texans in the trade that sent Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to Houston. That could be the equalizer for a team that also boasts the eighth-most cap space ($26.5 million).
The 49ers are another team to watch, as they completed a deal for Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018 while Caserio was Director of Player Personnel for New England. The 49ers have 10 picks in the upcoming draft, and while they have just the 14th-most cap space ($11.8 million), they could effectively double that if they’re willing to cut Garoppolo.
Due to his 49ers connections, new head coach Robert Saleh and the Jets could also be in play. They not only have the No. 2 and 34 overall picks in the upcoming draft, but also the second-most cap space ($65.6 million).
Given the odds at BetMGM as of Tuesday night, I believe the Patriots (+700) present the best value, followed by the 49ers (+1400) and Dolphins (+500).