The Washington Football Team should be interested in Deshaun Watson amid his reported rift with Texans.
The Washington Football Team is getting ready to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL playoffs on Saturday, but behind the scenes, their front office is preparing to make some upgrades to the team during the 2021 offseason. The team has some holes to fill despite making the playoffs, as they made it with a record of 7-9 in the NFL’s weakest division.
That said, the biggest hole that Washington has to address is their quarterback spot. Dwayne Haskins proved to be a massive bust and he was released before the end of his second season in Washington despite being a first-round pick in 2019.
Meanwhile, Alex Smith is 36. Though he made one of the most improbable injury comebacks in NFL history this season and has gone 5-1 in six starts, he has regressed the more he has played, as his surgically-repaired leg just isn’t quite holding up. It would be hard to trust him as anything more than a backup — if he decides to play in 2021.
Kyle Allen looks like a potential high-end backup or low-end starter while Taylor Heinicke certainly has done enough to fight for the third quarterback spot on the team’s roster. Steven Montez will battle for that spot as well, but the team simply needs a true No. 1 quarterback to pair with their young, borderline-elite defense. Finding one could make them a true Super Bowl contender.
For that reason, Washington should have a high level of interest in Deshaun Watson. The Houston Texans quarterback is reportedly unhappy with the organization, so it’s possible that he could be on the move at some point in the future.
Why Watson is reportedly unhappy
So, why exactly is Watson unhappy? It has to do with the Texans’ recent moves within the front office.
More specifically, Watson is bothered that Houston failed to listen to his input on General Manager candidates and that they failed to notify him they had made a hire before news broke of Nick Caserio’s hire earlier this week.
Here’s a look into the dynamic, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
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"Watson offered his input on potential general manager candidates, but the Texans neither considered nor consulted with those endorsed by their franchise quarterback, league sources told ESPN. Additionally, the Texans did not inform Watson that they intended to hire Caserio, and he found out about the hire on social media. That contributed to Watson taking to Twitter that night to post “some things never change….” Watson’s feelings were not directed toward Caserio, sources told ESPN, but instead were indicative of the way business was again conducted by the Texans. Last offseason, Houston didn’t let Watson know that star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would be traded, which led to some disappointment. Now that it has happened again, Watson is said to be infinitely more bothered, sources told ESPN."
Could that be enough to lead to a split? That remains to be seen, but the fact of the matter is that the Texans are devoid of any draft capital after Bill O’Brien’s disastrous tenure as GM following a 4-12 season. Watson may not see this team improving too much as a result and the front office may be willing to move on from the quarterback to restock the cupboard and go into a full-out rebuild.
Either way, given that Watson’s trust in the Texans’ front office seems to be eroding as a result of this failure to communicate critical organizational news to him, perhaps a split would be for the best.
Washington should be interested if potential hang-ups don’t interfere
Watson, 25, is a sure-fire top-10 quarterback in this league and he well may be a top-five option. Needless to say, if he’s available, he would be a massive upgrade for Washington and would easily be the best player they could add at the position this offseason. He would give the team a legitimate top QB to pair with Terry McLaurin and turn the team into a potential juggernaut if all goes well.
However, there are a few potential hang-ups in any potential deal for Watson. First of all, Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he would have control of where he might light. Washington should be attractive to Watson, but it’s possible that he may prefer to go to an offensive-minded head coach like Frank Reich or Kyle Shanahan. His decision could influence any possible Washington involvement.
Additionally, the cost of acquiring Watson would likely be astronomical. His contract is already signed, so that’s a plus, but he is a proven, young franchise quarterback that can instantly lift a team into contention. Finding those on the open market is borderline impossible. Sure, Washington might have leverage in any trade talks if they are Watson’s preferred destination, but the Texans wouldn’t just give him away, either.
It would likely cost Washington multiple first-round picks, some Day 2 compensation, and, perhaps, even a player to get Watson. They could also opt to take back a bloated contract from the cap-strapped Texans. Brandin Cooks‘ contract ($12 million cap hit) stands out as one that the Texans could move that Washington would have an interest in taking on to upgrade their receiving corps since Cooks is still an effective starter who has good chemistry with Watson.
The final obstacle, of course, would be Watson actually wanting to be traded. It seems like he isn’t happy with the Texans, but these are just rumors. And just because he’s unhappy with the team doesn’t mean it’s a foregone conclusion that he will demand a trade. He could just be leveraging the team for more control in helping to select the new head coach or to at least some input in the matter.
For now, this is a situation to monitor, but rest assured that if Watson is available, Washington should, and will, be interested in acquiring his services.