Image via Getty/Otto Greule Jr./Stringer
Deshan Watson has officially requested a trade from the Houston Texans. While there were many obvious rumors pointing to this for weeks, various NFL insiders have confirmed that Watson has asked for a trade from the Texans. News of this comes one day after the Texans decided that they were going to hire David Culley as their head coach. Apparently that was not enough to sway Watson's decision as he looks to leave the team that drafted him.
Reports of growing tension between Watson and the team have been growing ever since the team traded All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins last offseason. Watson added more fuel to the fire when he tweeted "Some things never change" after the team hired Nick Caserio as their new GM. Of course, this timing of the tweet and the news made everyone think that they were related. How could you not think that?
We've seen crazier things happen and in the NFL, you should never be surprised by anything. Will all that in mind, we put together five teams that should be super aggressive in going after Watson if he does actually want out. The truth is, every NFL team should be interested in Watson. He's a top 5 QB in the NFL. Where do you think Watson could end up? We broke it down.
San Francisco 49ers
Let's start with the 49ers, who have one of the best offensive coaches in the NFL and plenty of talent throughout the roster. Where are they lacking? Well, if you subbed Jimmy G for Deshaun Watson, this team is an immediate Super Bowl contender year in and year out. Yes, Jimmy Garoppolo took the 49ers to the Super Bowl two seasons ago, but it's pretty clear they could upgrade the position. The team also doesn't seem super interested in committing longterm to Jimmy G. So why not go after Watson? Could you imagine him in Kyle Shannahan's offense? Talk about explosive.
New York Giants
The New York Giants are building something at the moment. They're a young team with a stellar defense and an All-Pro running back in Saquon Barkley. They have talent at the WR position and an energetic coach in Joe Judge. They're building up a young offensive line that will only get better from here. Now think about how much of an upgrade it would be if they subbed out Daniel Jones for Deshaun Watson? The Giants would immediately become a contender in the NFC. They have the draft assets to make something happen and we all know Dave Gettleman isn't scared to make a big deal.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were a playoff team this year, but nobody actually thinks that Mitch Trubisky is the QB of the future in Chicago. This is another talented team that with the addition of Watson, could really take off. Even more, this could be some redemption for the Bears, who passed on drafting Watson to take Trubisky. Talk about a poetic ending that could be. The Bears should go all in on exploring a Watson trade.
Miami Dolphins
Dolphins fans might be mad but listen to this scenario: trade the No. 3 overall pick and Tua to the Texans for Deshaun Watson. Of course, this is the same No. 3 pick that the Texans traded to the Dolphins for Laremy Tunsil. It would really be a full-circle type thing, but if you're a Dolphins fan, how could you say no? Tua showed a bit of promise this season, but there's already rumblings that they should look at QBs in this upcoming draft. If that's the case, why not try and get one of the best QBs in the league in Watson? Nobody you draft would be better and with the way this defense is already stacked, you'd be already setup to win immediately. The team would need to improve the offensive weapons around Watson, but this would be the ultimate win-now move for the team.
New England Patriots
Where else would we end? It's no secret that Bill Belichick and the Patriots will be looking for new options at QB for next season after the Cam Newton experiment didn't work out, and they couldn't do much better than Watson. Would Nick Caserio, who just left the Patriots to take the Texans GM job, trade their franchise QB to Belichick? Who knows, but you already know the Patriots are always aggressive in chasing talent, and you'd have to imagine this wouldn't be any different.
New York Jets
Like the Miami Dolphins, the Jets have a young QB and a high draft pick that they could offer the Texans in a trade for Deshaun Watson. There have even been some reports that Watson prefers a trade to the Jets. That would be a curveball, but we've seen weirder stuff happen in the NFL. If the Texans were smart, which remains to be seen, they would be foolish not to consider a Jets offer built around the No. 2 pick and Sam Darnold.