At long last, the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes appear to be open.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Monday reported the Houston Texans are willing to listen to trade offers for their superstar quarterback. This doesn’t mean a Watson trade is imminent — his legal situation still is very much ongoing — but at the very least, it’s a real possibility.
At this point, it’s tough to gauge what Watson’s market might look like. But if you ask Peter King, one team makes more sense than the rest as a possible trade partner for Houston.
“Philadelphia’s the most logical target — and I’d argue that acquiring their next quarterback would be smarter next March than it is now,” King wrote in his latest Football Morning in America column for NBC Sports. “Maybe Jalen Hurts has a stunningly great year and the Eagles think they’ve got their quarterback of the future. Maybe the Eagles will be in position with three first-round picks to sit and take their next quarterback in the draft or trade up for him. Or maybe they’re in the best position of any team in the league to deal for Watson. So the best thing for Philadelphia here is to play the long game — and hope that Carson Wentz plays three-quarters of the snaps in Indianapolis this year, ensuring that third first-round pick 2022.”
Pelissero’s report also noted an interested team likely would need to send three first-rounders and more to the Texans for Watson, so King’s focus on the Eagles makes sense. Watson himself would need to greenlight a potential move to the City of Brotherly Love, however, as he has a no-trade clause in his contract.
