Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
In the end, it might come down to what the San Francisco 49ers – or any other interested NFL team – can offer the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Yes, Watson has a trade ban in his contract. If he got the Texans to trade him, the quarterback would at least have the power to approve his destiny.
The gap between Watson and the Texans has made for an interesting low season so far, at least for the teams that don’t participate in postseason games. The young quarterback would be considered an upgrade for most teams watching the playoffs from home. Fans of San Francisco 49ers should be wondering what kind of magic Kyle Shanahan could dial in with Watson leading his attack.
That’s also what could make the 49ers such an attractive destination for Watson – the presence of Shanahan. Yes, the head coach’s influence is starting to spread across the league as more teams try to create the same kind of creative play that Shanahan’s players consistently praise and try to stop the opponent’s defenses. Other teams may be tempting, but the 49ers have something that no other has to offer.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr recently listed the top 10 landing spots for Watson (h / t to Patrick Tulini), starting from Texans Cave and offers for the quarterback. While the New York Jets, armed with an abundance of tour capital, are No. 1 on the list, the 49ers are surprisingly high at No. 2. That has a lot to do with the head coach and the play-caller.
“As I wrote this off-season, there is no bigger draw for quarterbacks looking to win than Kyle Shanahan herself,” Orr wrote. While his system is now responsible for NFL head coaches and coordinators (Arthur Smith in Atlanta, Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, Sean McVay in Los Angeles, etc., etc.), the man himself can get more out of quarterbacks and design plays with incredible YAC potential.
“Since Watson has a trade ban, he can steer the direction of possible trade talks and if he’s serious about a stable culture and a formidable weapon set, San Francisco should be up there.”
Of course, the 49ers don’t have the same stock of draft picks as some of the other teams, and getting Watson’s curious about the Texans would likely require years of high roster. Orr falsely notes that the 49ers are missing out on a third-round pick, but that recently changed when the Jets hire Robert Saleh as head coach. San Francisco gets a compensatory third-round pick during each of the following two concepts as part of the NFL’s minority hiring program.
However, that choice will be at the end of the round, after other compensatory choices are dealt in the third round. The 49ers could also offer a temporary (or perhaps permanent) replacement for Watson – Jimmy Garoppolo. Like Watson, Garoppolo has a trade ban in his contract and should approve every move, however.
“Jimmy Garoppolo is an interesting part of this equation, as the human resources director who led his New England editorial office is now in charge in Houston,” Orr added. “That could ease the sting of any trade, as Garoppolo could get into a familiar environment and still be one of the best quarterbacks in the division right away.”
The relationship between the Houston Texans and their star quarterback, Deshaun Watson, appears to have soured. The quarterback may have hit a breaking point and could consider a trade request if the situation doesn’t improve. That, of course, sparked a wave of speculation and trading scenarios on social media, mostly from fans who feel their teams need to be on the phone immediately to strike some sort of deal with the Texans. So are fans of San Francisco 49ers, who, according to a recent poll, may be willing to sacrifice the future for the chance to add a dynamic player like Watson. ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated that Watson’s anger level after a
Earlier in the week, six teams – including the Houston Texans – had better chances than the San Francisco 49ers of having Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2021 season. Now, oddsmakers say there are only two teams – still including the Texans – for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad. The relationship between Watson and the Texans has soured. The quarterback is frustrated that he is not involved in important decisions, despite the team saying he would.
Last week, Steve Young said he would be willing to trade several first-round drafts for Deshaun Watson if he made the decisions for the San Francisco 49ers. “He’s, no joke, one of the best quarterbacks in the league,” Young said on KNBR. “… he’s poised to be one of the greats of the generation, and he’s already proven he can handle it.” Another Hall of Fame player and former Niner, Jerry Rice, joined 95.7 The Game on Monday