We are now headed into the third month of the Deshaun Watson trade rumors that set the NFL’s 2021 offseason in motion. Despite what reports have been saying about the situation, the Texans front office remains committed to keeping Watson in Houston. According to reports, Watson was told by the Texans that he would be involved in transactions such as player personnel decisions in the future.
However, it was the other way round as Houston did not consult with Watson on choosing their new general manager. The Texans decided to hire former Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio to become their next general manager.
When Houston decided to hire their GM, Watson was on vacation in Mexico. ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Watson was unhappy with the process because, according to league sources, “Watson offered input on potential general manager candidates, but the Texans neither considered nor consulted with those endorsed by their franchise quarterback.”
From that point forward, Watson put out a series of cryptic Tweets that would have fans wondering if the former first-rounder wanted out of Houston. “I was on 2 then I took it to 10,” Watson tweeted Friday afternoon. During the introductory press conference for both Caserio and new Head Coach David Culley, Caserio reiterated his intentions of keeping Watson.
“He’s had a great impact on this organization, a great impact on a lot of people, a great impact on this team. We look forward to the opportunity to spend more time with him here this spring once we get started. We have zero interest in trading the player. We have a great plan, a great vision for him and for this team and his role on our team. We look forward to the opportunity to spend more time with him here this spring.” Caserio said at the introductory press conference.
There was another meeting that took place with only Watson and Culley. Despite the Texans’ willingness to mend the fences with their star QB, things remain the same.
Watson still wants to be traded out of Houston, but the Texans are standing their ground on their decision to keep him with the franchise. Every team that has called Houston to inquire about making a trade for Watson has been denied. It has now gotten to the point where the former Clemson star could sit out the entire season if the Texans do not trade him. “I highly doubt he will suit up in a Texans’ uniform again,” said Jalen Ramsey on the Huddle and Flow podcast.
No one knows for sure if Watson is actually going to sit out the season if he is not traded by the start of training camp. For the most part, the ongoing discussions are pure speculation. But if there ever were a time to move on from an elite quarterback, it would be now. The Texans currently do not have any first-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, they can receive a plethora of first-rounders if they decide to part ways with Watson.
The team presents that the best package right now to acquire Watson is the New York Jets. The Jets currently have the number two overall pick in this year’s draft. They also have an additional first-pick due to the Jamal Adams trade that occurred before the season started. All in total, the Jets have nine picks in this year’s NFL Draft. The Texans could receive a significant portion of those picks if they decided to move on from Watson.
With the second pick in the first round of the draft, Houston can draft their quarterback of the future. That’s if they decided to send their star QB to the Jets in return for the second pick in the draft. The 2021 draft is projected to have five quarterbacks taken in the first round. With the Texans hanging on to Watson, it will only fracture this football team in the future.
What’s done is done, and the Texans must move on from Deshaun Watson. The bridges between Watson and the team are completely burned down and cannot be repaired at all. Houston may not be so lucky next offseason if they finally decide to part ways with their franchise quarterback.
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