The Deshaun Watson market, as muddled as it may be, reclaimed its place atop the NFL news cycle Saturday. Texans GM Nick Caserio has discussed the Pro Bowl quarterback on more than one occasion with the Dolphins and Panthers, Armando Salguero of outkick.com reports.
Watson would prefer a trade to Miami but would not veto a deal that sends him to Charlotte, Salguero adds. The soon-to-be 26-year-old QB has a no-trade clause. The Panthers are not believed to be making a hard push for the Clemson product at this point, but they were monitoring him recently and showed considerable interest this offseason — before the sexual assault and misconduct allegations emerged.
As of now, however, the Dolphins are not meeting the first part of the Texans’ lofty asking price. Miami is not ready to part with three first-round picks for Watson, per Salguero, who adds no trade is imminent. The Texans are believed to want three first-rounders and two second-rounders for Watson, who requested a trade this past winter and has not factored into the team’s practices this summer. Houston is not expected to fetch such a haul for Watson, Adam Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com notes, if a deal is made soon.
Miami remains interested at the right price, and if that is the case, Houston may not be able to keep its lofty price tag where it presently is. The Panthers’ interest having dwindled, and the Broncos and Eagles potentially bowing out — as Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 reports, Watson will not waive his no-trade clause for Philly — may leave just one serious suitor. That would obviously benefit the Dolphins.
Additionally, the Texans are not believed to be interested in a deal that includes Tua Tagovailoa, per Salguero. That could change, but any deal for Watson not including Tagovailoa would leave the former No. 5 overall pick in a strange situation. The Dolphins were linked to Tagovailoa a year before they actually selected him, but Beasley notes the some concern about his development exists within the organization. Not everyone in the Dolphins’ organization is concerned about Tua, with the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson noting the team has been pleased with the second-year QB’s improvement. GM Chris Grier has committed to Tagovailoa as his 2021 starter on multiple occasions during the offseason.
Tagovailoa would have no path to a starting job on a team with Watson, assuming his legal trouble does not result in prison time. While Tagovailoa could serve as the Dolphins’ starter during a Watson suspension, the team would almost certainly need to unload the younger quarterback in a separate trade at some point.
It would certainly be strange for a team to acquire Watson at this point. Twenty-two women have filed civil suit against him, and at least 10 are involved in the Houston Police Department’s investigation. A grand jury is set to be empaneled soon, and the NFL is not planning to interview Watson until it has spoken with all 22 accusers. The Pro Bowl passer is not set to be deposed in the civil case until February 2022. While this would create a window for Watson to play this season, though a grand jury indictment would seemingly prompt the NFL to place him on the commissioner’s exempt list, a team that acquires the QB under these circumstances would face backlash.
Send Tua to the Steelers Miami. Since your front office loved to give up on talented players haha
Send Watson to the Steelers. They have experience with players accused of sexual assault.
Sort ass excuse for something that was NEVER proven in court. Go find the article and I’ll shut up. Oh wait….THERE. IS. NOT. ONE.
That doesn’t change the fact Roethlisberger was accused of assault twice. Settled at least one out of court.
You also have Antonio Brown who’s been accused in what 2019?
Also, Ben’s not going to sleep with you. Might assault you, but won’t sleep with you. No need to get angry at someone insulting him on comment sections.
AB wasn’t a Steeler in 2019
Brown was a steeler in 2017 and 2018 when it happened based on what the woman who accused him said.
“The plaintiff, 28-year-old Britney Taylor, alleges the 31-year-old Brown [attacked] her on three occasions in 2017 and 2018, with the third incident escalating to r@pe.”
link to google.com
If Watson was willing to settle then you wouldn’t see these in court either.
Doesn’t mean he didn’t do it. Just means he paid them off.
Do you have anything from within say the last 17 years? If we want to dig I’m sure we could find something wrong with every team during that time frame…. Where should we begin?
After their experience in the Big Ben accusations saga and the whole Antonio Brown drama, Steelers wouldn’t take Deshaun Watson if he came WITH 3 first round picks. They generally try to avoid the tabloids and have had enough of that kind of drama for quite some time to come, I think.
Why would any team waste capital on a player that is under such an awful uncertain situation? I understand Houston’s motive but would be so dumb for any team to fall for this trap. Let it play out.
Only way it makes sense is if the acquiring team gets a significant discount on the package they’d have to offer, which is why it isn’t going to happen. Texans can’t afford to sell low just to get him out of there, and no one will part with a haul to take on all the baggage and some uncertainty.
Wow PFR..2 “stories” about Watson with exactly zero news included within 2 hours today? All about that clickbate I guess. I miss the days when sites actually reported things, instead of trying to create news. Which is all that is happening here.
Curious as to who is holding a gun to your head, forcing you to read the free articles…
Yeah like just keep scrolling like I do if I see stories I don’t care about. I don’t get why everyone is like mUsT cOmMeNt oN sToRy I “dOnT cArE aBoUt” & sAy I dOnT cArE
It bums me out when this place reports trade rumors. So frustrating.
How dare Pro Football Rumors reports a rumor! What the hell?
Well it is called “Trade Rumours” not “Trade truth” (insert face-plant emoji here)
Sing and share petition if your a Miami fan and don’t want Miami to trade away their future for this loser Watson
link to chng.it
I’m a terrible singer though….
If we sing the petition, are they going to be able to hear it? I think just sending them the petition would be easier.
Ditto, although if I keep singing the petition out loud, my singing is so bad maybe the front office won’t trade for him just so that I’ll stop.
Since his NFL days are on hold you should be running rumors on his legal strategy and how they’ll make so many cases disappear before any team gives up so much capital to obtain his services.
As a dolphin fan I will be disapointed if miami gives a big haul for Watson. Regardless how this all plays out legally they have commited to Tua and done nothing but praise his offseason improvement. High character guy who is team first. Even if Watson escapes criminal charges its almost guaranteed NFL is going to suspend him for some time. Today’s political enviroment will insist on that. Roll the dice with Tua this year and if it dosent work out you have 2 1st round picks next year as ammunition to fix the problem.
A trade would give Watson a real happy ending……
Texans GM is like “Roger Goodell is pretending these accusations don’t exist, why can’t the other GM’s?
It’s like trying to sell a used car for full price while it’s on fire, but nevertheless he persists.
Your closing line was too damned funny!!!
If not the Dolphins would love to see Watson on the giants.
Giants would own the NFC east with Watson and Barkley. Not to mention Galloday and Toney aswell.
Giants also have a bunch of bits it could offer. They have 2 picks in the first round and 2 picks in the third round.
I’d suggest offering Daniel Jones, a first round pick, a third round pick, next years second, Shepard, Engram and McKinney.
Houston would get a huge rebuilding package with a decent young QB, Shepard a good WR, Engram a young TE with potential on an expiring deal, McKinney a young safety and 3 picks.
Texans would then be interesting atleast and have a bunch of depth.
As a lifelong Dolphins fan, since the glory days in the 70s, I will officially no longer be a fan if they do a trade for Watson. He may be an awesome QB. He may be completely innocent. I still don’t want that shadow of a stigma over my favorite team and, no matter what the outcome is of all of this, it will never go away.
Fair point.
Even if he were eventually cleared, any team that trades for him now, before such exoneration occurs, would be knowingly acquiring a possible sexual assailant.
Not the best look.
“We got him cheap because of the rape allegations” won’t work with the entire fan base.
“assuming his legal trouble does not result in prison time.”
Always great to root for a teammate to get prison time for your increased playing time.
Fins GM Grier trying to fleece Houston again?
It amazes me that the Texans still have a “lofty” asking price. If you can find someone to take him, be rid of him and be happy.
It amazes me the Dolphins would want him. Why? I’d rather have a young QB who can play okay, in Tua, versus a piece of garbage like Watson.
They want 3 First Round and 2 second picks for a guy who’s gonna be in a Super Max soon? Wonder what they would want without the prison sentence? No wonder nobody is knocking. Even Pace isn’t that stupid. And that’s saying something. He’ll be the QB for the San Quentin Rapists soon enough.
The allegations against Deshaun Watson is of paying for handjobs and of trying to persuade some reluctant grown-up masseuses to stimulate him. It’s neither underage (Epstein) nor violent/blackmail (Weinstein). And unlike the men above, there was no rape. SuperMax is not for cases like this, using language like “rapists” is misleading.
This is not to say it won’t cost Mr. Watson a substantial sum in civil damages and the NFL won’t suspend him for as a full season at some point.
22 of them? What he couldn’t find one WILLING to do it? C’mon, get a grip. LMAO.
You misunderstand the situation. There is another long list of masseuses who were willing to play ball. Some on the unwilling list were moved over from the willing list for financial reasons. How many are opportunists and how many were genuinely harassed are a huge part of what is being investigated.
Watson has certainly behaved poorly here.
Rape is also a criminal charge. Watson does not have any criminal charges currently. He’s being sued, not prosecuted. It’s really not the same.
Wait for the Civil suits to play out, charges are coming…
The timing of the allegations still suggests that the billionaire owner of the Texans has something to do with their opportune arrival. In January, Watson told Cal McNair, “I’m leaving Houston and there’s nothing you can do about that.” McNair said to Watson, “Oh, you want to play hard ball? We’ll see about that.”
The damage to a billionaire of losing a couple of hundred million (and enduring a losing season) is much less than the damage to a sports star losing 150 million in salary and more in endorsements. If McNair had anything to do with these cases becoming public record (as he might have had something to do with them not becoming public record), he’s effectively ruined Deshaun Watson’s life. Albeit it with some help from Watson himself.
I could see a vengeful billionaire doing that to a player/pawn who he feels has insulted him.
The greatest revenge for McNair is to leave Watson in limbo, neither traded nor cut, making it impossible for Watson to be suspended and move on with his life in another town.
Hence the crazy trade requirements. “Spider” McNair does not want to let his prey out of his web but instead to pass by and slowly suck the life out of his veins, as Watson ages and gradually becomes persona non grata in the whole league.
And then letting him use his lawyer? Wouldn’t really make sense now, would it?
LOL!!!!
THERE IS NO MARKET…