The Houston Texans boast one of the best quarterbacks in all of football.
This means the franchise also has one of the league’s most appealing trade chips.
The Texans probably aren’t looking to deal Deshaun Watson, but perhaps their hand eventually will be forced. A recent report indicated Watson, who put together a career campaign in 2020, is “extremely unhappy” with the team that drafted him 12th overall in 2017.
So, what kind of haul could Houston bring in if it were to move Watson? Mike Florio projected the return package based on conversations he had with executives around the league.
“… the loose consensus was three first-round draft picks,” Florio wrote for Pro Football Talk. “As one GM put it, if the first of the first-round picks lands in the top 10 of the 2021 draft, that would help get it done.”
Three first-rounders, of course, is an awfully steep price. But considering you potentially could have an elite quarterback under center for the next decade-plus, a blockbuster of that magnitude for Watson might be worth it.
It remains to be seen whether Houston will make Watson available. But if the franchise ultimately does open the lines, one has to imagine the phones will be ringing off the hook.
