If Woody Johnson craved a 38-year-old Brett Favre like he did when Chad Pennington was jettisoned before the 2008 season, you better believe he’d like to make a splash with Deshaun Watson now that Johnson is back.
Watson is a top five quarterback who is only 25 years old, and he’s an instant box office for when the day happily comes that MetLife Stadium can be packed with those long-suffering Jets fans again. And suffering Jets fans too.
Jets GM Joe Douglas has the tour capital and New York Bleeping City allure to entice Watson now that word is out that he wants out of Houston.
It’s a two-pronged selling move for Douglas and the Jets:
Make the Texans an offer they can’t refuse.
Sell Watson on why the Jets are the most sought after landing site for the best years of his career.
Here’s how:
The Jets haven’t made it to the playoffs since the 2010 season. The franchise has been a veritable burial place for franchise quarterbacks. Douglas does not need to refer to that.
But he can remind Watson that there’s no better place to win than New York City, even if the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center is located in Florham Park. NJ And it is a beautiful facility, by the way.
Watson is not one to shy away from expecting to be the Savior of the Jets.
Watson’s championship days in Clemson tell us in no uncertain terms that he loves the bright lights and big stage, as Michael Jordan once did. The Jets were one of the teams that didn’t listen to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney when he compared Watson to MJ, instead fielding Jamal Adams because then GM Mike Maccagnan apparently thought Christian Hackenberg would be Jordan. But Douglas can follow a signal from Mark McGwire – he’s not here to talk about the past.
He talks about Robert Saleh instead. Watson would love Saleh; all he has to do is ask Richard Sherman if he hasn’t already. If anyone is a gasless, no-brake-like guy, it’s Deshaun Watson.
And Saleh has a major branch of the Kyle Shanahan boom in offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Watson would thrive in his offense.
Douglas has $ 63,475,814 in cap space, according to overthecap.com, and he will be a free market player for a No. 1 recipient (Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin) to partner with Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder. He will find him Playmakers and Guardians.
Watson’s blind side would be protected by Man Mountain Mekhi Becton, who might remind Watson of Laremy Tunsil, his left tackle in Houston.
Douglas can commend the culture he’s started building – no IK Enemkpali, so no reason for Watson to fear someone breaking his jaw in the locker room.
If Joe Namath could ever appear in panty commercials, the sky would be the limit for Watson in terms of approval.
Douglas has to call Namath and ask him to pitch the team and town to Watson.
And now for the other part of the Texans in two steps:
Douglas should be willing to force with a minimum of three first-round draft picks: the second overall pick and the 23rd pick in 2021, and the Jets’ pick in 2022, which will almost certainly be a more valued choice than the one they receive from the Seahawks in the Adams deal. Douglas can sweeten the pot with autographed copies of Namath’s most recent book, “All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters.”
The new Texas GM Nick Caserio could then line up Zach Wilson, Justin Fields or Trey Lance with that second choice.
Douglas can recoup some design capital – no less than a second round – by trading Sam Darnold for one of the many desperate quarterback teams: the Bears, Lions, Panthers, Colts, Washington Football Team, Steelers, Saints, maybe the Rams, maybe even the Jon Gruden Raiders, but not the Patriots, thank you very much.
“He’s an incredible talent,” Saleh said of Darnold on the “Huddle and Flow” podcast.
A win-win statement from Saleh. Darnold would clearly benefit from the change of coaching, but he could also benefit from a change of scenery. Saleh tells him if the Jets planning to trade him is a smart thing to do. It is a smart thing to show faith in him and build his confidence at the same time.
Any trade would leave Douglas with a second and two third-rounders in 2021, a 2022 first-round and a second and third, plus whatever he can pick up for Darnold.
Douglas may have to fend off the dolphins if they decide to upgrade Tua Tagovailoa, and Watson would like that there is no income tax in Florida.
In 1997, the Jets traded first, second, third and fourth round picks to the Patriots for what turned out to be Bill Parcells on the sidelines for three years.
Watson, September 26, would only give the Jets their best player since Curtis Martin, their best quarterback since Broadway Joe.
When it comes down to it and he’s forced to give up that fourth first-rounder – probably in the 20s – Douglas should swallow hard and do it, pushing for a second or third rounder as part of the deal. Deshaun Watson makes everyone around him better and changes the perception of the organization. And he would be a valuable recruiting tool for Saleh, as players across the league want to play with him.
For the besieged Jets it would be the dawn of a new day. Or Deshaun from a new day. It is elementary, my dear Douglas.