J.J. Watt, Watson headed to 49ers? Don’t count on it
J.J. Watt is free of the Houston Texans.
Deshaun Watson? Nope. Not yet.
The 49ers, with their Lombardi Trophy visions and potential job openings, make sense as a landing spot for (a) both, (b) either, and, (c) neither.
Bet on “C” — neither Watt nor Watson. Let’s start by explaining who they are and will be.
Watt will find his next team first, and the most talked about destination is the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he could play with his two brothers on a perennial contender.
Watt was released Friday after a dominant decade in Houston. He is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2012, ’14, ’15), but injuries and the Texans’ dysfunction spoiled the defensive lineman’s past few seasons.
Watt turns 32 next month. He has enough gas and muscle mass left to pick among several title contenders. He also has an injury history, as do the 49ers in recent years, which is a compelling enough reason they shouldn’t get in a bidding war with their scarce salary cap space ($13.4 million, per OverTheCap.com).
Aside from the Steelers, other logical links are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Green Bay Packers (Watt is a Wisconsin native), the Chicago Bears (his wife plays for Chicago’s pro soccer team), the Los Angeles teams (Hollywood factor), the Dallas Cowboys (in-state relocation) and, as the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain hypothesized, the Tennessee Titans or the Baltimore Ravens so Watt can reunite with former coaches.
The 49ers’ link: DeMeco Ryans, whose promotion last month from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator drew praise from none other than Watt. They played together in 2011, in Watt’s rookie year. Ryans completed his playing career in Philadelphia.
“Hell of a player, hell of a man, can only imagine he’s just as great of a coach. Couldn’t be happier for Meco!!” Watt tweeted.
Ryans surely would be happy to welcome Watt onto a front line with Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw. The 49ers’ greater need is for a speed rusher rather, a young stud opposite Bosa. Watt might work best inside on pass downs, where the 49ers already should deploy Armstead and Kinlaw.
The 49ers aren’t going to convert to a 3-4 defensive front as they attempt to recapture their 2019 defensive dominance. They jumble their line around, however, so a scheme fit won’t be Watt’s top concern.
The 49ers aren’t even listed among 11 teams as Watt’s next destination by one oddsmaker, BetOnline. ag. It’s open season on speculation. All are in play, including his other former AFC rivals such as the Colts, the Patriots, the Bills, the Browns, the Dolphins, etc.
When it comes to the Texans’ faces of the franchise, Watson is the bigger prize. He’s the historic-trade-inwaiting. At 25, he’d be a dualthreat machine at quarterback, though his off-schedule prowess would conflict with so much of Kyle Shanahan’s intensely structured, but adaptable, scheme.
The Watson-to-49ers idea is over a month old. He’s requested a trade. The Texans are holding onto him for a king’s ransom.
Working in the 49ers’ favor is that Watson, according to ESPN, is “intrigued” by the 49ers and the Denver Broncos, more so than the New York Jets, who have the No. 2 draft pick and way more capital to offer. Long-time NFL reporter Tyler Dunne reported Friday that the 49ers and Miami Dolphins are atop Watson’s wish list.
The 49ers don’t seem desperate enough to mortgage their future on a quarterback they passed up four years ago in the draft.
More likely is the 49ers remain status quo with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback.
Giving away multiple first-round picks and a cornerstone player (see: Nick Bosa or Fred Warner) is an exorbitant price. Too exorbitant, unless that quarterback already comes with a Super Bowl ring (see: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson – two frustrated veterans who have no chance of being dealt to an NFC rival).
Seeing Watt and Watson take refuge with the 49ers would be stunning. Seeing neither would be the likeliest outcome.