Who should acquire the Texans QB Deshaun Watson?

By: Benedetto Vitale (Twitter: @vitaletalks)

The Houston Texans franchise is in quite the debacle heading into the offseason. Currently, they sit with little to no draft capital, are over the projected salary cap, and have a disgruntled superstar quarterback. Additionally, they still must find their new head coach and general manager. 

Deshaun Watson recently voiced his frustration, putting the Texans’ front office in a state turmoil. Houston likely didn’t want to trade away their star player, as Watson finished the season with 4,823 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. He also had a 70.2 completion percentage, making the 2020 season a career year for the Houston QB. 

The vexation began last offseason after, then HC/GM, Bill O’Brien traded away superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Soon after the season ended for Houston, Watson asked to have his input on the new GM search. Instead, the front office ignored Watson and upset him enough to ask to be traded. 

Not all is bad for the Texans though, as Watson’s value is through the roof. In a Yahoo Sports article written by Nick Goss, the author explains Watson’s value by stating, “… three first-rounders was a common theme in conversations about Watson’s trade value.” For a franchise with hardly any draft picks, that has to be music to their ears. 

If Watson is traded, it will have to be a team willing to part ways with so much draft stock. The teams with the most draft picks right now are the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s hard to believe any of those teams trade for him, as each franchise has a bright future ahead without Watson. However, three franchises could use his abilities. Here are the three teams that need Deshaun Watson. 

Watson Joins the Washington Football Team?

The Washington Football Team didn’t have the best year, as they finished the season with just a 7-9 record. Luckily they play in a weak NFC East division, which allowed Washington to still make the playoffs.

At the end of the day, Washington has all of the right pieces to be a serious contender in the NFL. Ron Rivera and the veteran coaching staff have given this team a new identity that’s been missing the last decade. Also, this organization has one of the best front sevens in the league with Chase Young leading the way. Furthermore, the offense has a solid offensive line, and two great weapons in Terry McClaurin, and Antonio Gibson. 

The only hole on this team is the quarterback position, and Washington is in a great position to find their guy this offseason. Brentley Weissman, a writer for the Draft Network seems to agree, as he claims, “Washington’s biggest need this offseason will be to address the quarterback position and find a franchise quarterback to lead this team.” 

The front office may look to draft a new QB. However, if they have the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson, they should pull the trigger. Having Watson play for a team with an improved O-line would be a huge upgrade for him. Also having McClaurin as his main target would be similar to his time throwing to Hopkins. Don’t be shocked if Washington becomes a front-runner to land Watson in the near future. 

Why Not San Francisco?

The only team on this list to not make the playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers are likely a QB away from becoming a Super Bowl contender again. Having been in the Super Bowl in 2019, this season was a bust for the 49ers, as they finished with a 6-10 record. 

With that said, this roster is already built for a deep playoff run. Injuries slowed this franchise down this year, but they should get back on track in 2021. George Kittle leads the way as the main offensive threat, while the WR group has improved over the last two years. Furthermore, the 49ers are a run-first team, which should take the pressure off the new QB next year. 

In Conor Orr’s article for Sports Illustrated, he explains the 49ers QB situation by stating, “With a more navigable offseason coming, perhaps now is the time to truly entertain a move at quarterback that can not only recharge the team in the short term but set up the 49ers to loom large in this division for years to come.” He continues by saying, “This is especially important given how young and talented the rest of the division’s quarterbacks are. No one is fading anytime soon.” 

The 49ers enter the NFL draft with the 12th overall selection. If they wanted, they could draft a QB and develop him as soon as possible. However, with how good this roster is, the 49ers are in a Super Bowl window. Trading for Deshaun Watson would make tremendous sense for this franchise, as they would immediately become the favorites in the NFC West. 

Deshaun to Daaah Bears?

Finally, the Chicago Bears make the list of teams who need Deshaun Watson. The Nick Foles experiment was a bust. Meanwhile, Mitchell Trubisky proved he’s not consistent enough to continue being a starting QB. Trading for Deshaun Watson would change the future of the NFC North for years to come. 

Although the Bears barely made the playoffs, this franchise isn’t too far away from becoming a yearly contender. They have one of the better defenses in the league led by Khalil Mack and the offense is loaded with talent. David Montgomery is a solid running back, and still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Meanwhile, Allen Robinson could stay in Chicago, who is a WR any quarterback would want to play with. 

That leaves the QB position as the weak point of this team, and Watson would be a great addition to this franchise. In Alyssa Barbieri’s article for USA Today, she dives deep into the Bears’ search for a new QB. She states, “With (Ryan) Pace and (Matt) Nagy’s jobs on the line in 2021, the expectation is for Chicago to swing big at the quarterback position. Whether that’s signing a big name in free agency, trading for a quarterback, or even trading up in the NFL draft”¦”

Trading for Watson would be the best-case scenario for the Chicago Bears. Not only would he vastly improve the offense, but he would give the Bears a bright future in the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers is on the back-end of his career, Matthew Stafford is on his way out of Detroit, and Kirk Cousins isn’t the most reliable QB. Chicago should be all over a trade for Deshaun Watson.