Commanders fans shouldn’t get discouraged by latest Deshaun Watson buzz

The Washington Commanders are looking to kick off their new era with a new quarterback presiding over the offense.

The hope is that the front office will strike a mega-deal for one of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson, though fans would be better off setting their sights on the Jimmy Garoppolo and Carson Wentz tier of QB.

However, never say never and Ron Rivera has made it abundantly clear that the Commanders will make a play for a superstar. Much like their pursuit of Matthew Stafford last offseason, that’s really all fans could ask for.

At the end of the day, Washington has no say in where these QBs want to play. For Stafford, the idea of playing in Los Angeles at a $5 billion stadium for Sean McVay and with a legion of superstars was too compelling to pass up.

It’s unclear what Rodgers’ and Wilson’s preferred destinations are, but rumors of Watson’s ideal landing spots are starting to leak.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers and Vikings are among the teams on Watson’s radar in the early goings.

Commanders trade target Deshaun Watson reportedly has the Buccaneers and Vikings on his radar.

Here’s what Fowler (subscription required) had to say about Watson

"One source noted that Watson — who has a no-trade clause — is still early in the evaluation process, but he’s looking for the right blend of offensive system, coaching, talent and, most importantly, the chance to win.Watson preferred the Dolphins before last November’s trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, but talks didn’t result in a deal, and Miami appears committed to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa playing under new coach Mike McDaniel."

This is both good and bad news for the Commanders. While it stings that they didn’t make Watson’s initial list of destinations, it’s reassuring that the Dolphins, who nearly completed a deal for the three-time Pro Bowler at the deadline and were widely reported as his top landing spot, are out of the running.

At the very least, Watson has to evaluate his options again, and the Vikings and Buccaneers seemingly have an early lead on the rest of the pack.

The Bucs make perfect sense after Tom Brady’s retirement, and Fowler understands they’ll “exhaust all options” to resolve their QB conundrum. With a ton of championship pieces, it’d be franchise malpractice to hit the reset button and roll with Kyle Trask or a career backup in Blaine Gabbert.

While the fit with Tampa Bay checks out on paper, the Buccaneers currently aren’t financially equipped to absorb Watson’s contract. With just $6.87 million in cap space, it won’t be easy to rescue the necessary wiggle room.

Like the Bucs, the Vikings have pieces that would appease Watson. Between star receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen and Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, Watson could step in and make Minnesota a top-five offense right away.

If you were waiting for a caveat, kudos to you for picking up on the trend.

The Vikings are $14.7 million over the cap, so they’re worse off than the Buccaneers from a money perspective. They also face a looming decision on Kirk Cousins, a 2023 free agent who has a whopping $45 million cap hit for 2022.

Finding a way out of that would help them afford Watson, but Cousins’ deal comes with $45 million in dead cap, so that’s easier said than done. Even better for Washington? Newly-minted head coach Kevin O’Connell reportedly gave Cousins a strong vote of confidence during the interview process.

You also have to consider Watson’s lawsuits, which still aren’t resolved, but let’s keep this conversation focused on football.

Here’s the bottom line: While it’s not ideal the Commanders aren’t technically on Watson’s radar, the Buccaneers and Vikings, should they even choose to pursue him, will have to jump through all kinds of hoops to make a deal work.

In other words, don’t get discouraged by this report.