Report: Texans’ asking price for a Deshaun Watson deal that was revealed originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The future of Texan quarterback Deshaun Watson in Houston remains unclear, and if an NFL team is going to take him over by trade off-season, it must prepare for a very high asking price.
Houston Chronicle’s John McClain tweeted the asking price for Watson last weekend
The Rams-Lions trade will have nothing to do with a Watson trade if the Texans do. They want at least 2 ones, 2 twos and 2 young defensive starters. Watson, 25, under contract, great QB, team leader, loved by fans, pillar of the community. Start with the Jets.
– John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) January 31, 2021
Wowza.
In all seriousness, this asking price is not at all surprising when you consider Watson’s talent, age and the great importance of the position he plays.
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Watson comes from his best pro season to date. He set career highs in 2020 with completion rates of 70.2, 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns, along with a career-low seven interceptions.
The 25-year-old quarterback has reportedly filed for a trade, so this story should dominate the off-season until something happens.
The New York Jets, which McClain mentioned in the above tweet, are a potential destination for Watson that is under speculation.
The Jets could dangle Sam Darnold from the 2018 first round in a potential package, which could help Houston build another young quarterback. New York hasn’t been very successful in drafting the first round in recent years, so perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst for them to mortgage much of their future to get Watson.
The Jets getting Watson would be a bad scenario for the New England Patriots, who missed a Matthew Stafford trade and still don’t have a viable quarterback for 2021 and beyond.
The Miami Dolphins are another potential destination for Watson, and that would also be bad for the Patriots as they try to regain their past dominance in the AFC East. The Dolphins have the number 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and 2020 first round QB Tua Tagovailoa to use in every trade, which are two major assets.
If the Texans are actually going to trade Watson, they need to get a Herschel Walker-esque streak for him. You can’t trade one of the league’s top quarterbacks early in his prime and fail to get multiple first-rounders at the bare minimum.