After all of the rumors, last week the bombshell finally dropped: Deshaun Watson officially requested a trade from Houston. An arguably top five quarterback who is 25 years old hitting the trade market is unheard of and unprecedented. There has literally never been a case of this happening in league history, so the hype behind the idea of one the biggest blockbuster trades the NFL has ever seen is through the roof. Three quarters of the league would take him as an upgrade over their current QB, so teams will have to be aggressive and give the Texans a king’s ransom to land the young star. The talk about Watson forms a big question: which teams are the best equipped to land Watson? In addition to having the necessary assets, the team will need to provide him with talent to change the climate from Houston’s. Since so many teams desire Watson’s services and will hit Houston with an offer, let’s only look at the best of the best. Here are the top five teams best suited and most realistic for Watson to end up. (For this list, no division rivals are included despite being good suitors.)
5. Chicago Bears
The Bears are fifth on the list due to having the least valuable assets. Other teams might appear to fill the bill better but being a lifelong Bears fan I can see how well he would fit. To get Watson, Chicago would have to give up at least three first rounders, which is not a huge deal due to Pace being inadequate in the first round, and a star defensive player. Personally, I think it would be best to either send Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, or both. That way the young guys on the defense would still make the defense a respectable unit, and Watson would become the most talented QB the Bears have ever had. They could turn it around quicker than people realize once they figure out coaching duties and the front office.
4. New England Patriots
The next best spot would provide Belichick with an immediate successor to Tom Brady. While Cam Newton was a cool story, he certainly was not the long term answer for them. The Patriots that seemed so familiar to everyone were not present this season, and it showed in their record. The Patriots have the draft capital to move in exchange for Watson, and Watson would bring New England back to the dynasty days.
3. Carolina Panthers
This is an intriguing spot for Watson to arrive. A lot is still unknown about the team identity of Carolina with CMC out for most of the year and Teddy Bridgewater just serving as a bridge quarterback. Bring Watson there and that offense becomes leagues better. With Joe Brady having such success in college with Burrow, pairing him with Watson could propel him to new heights we haven’t seen yet. He could possibly become as good as Mahomes. This would also benefit the Texans as they could take Teddy off of Carolina’s hands and still draft a QB to sit behind him with the 8th pick. Trey Lance to Houston?
2. New York Jets
The Jets are considered the frontrunner to land Watson due to their large collection of assets. They can offer the 2nd, 23rd and 34th overall picks in this draft alone, giving the Texans an immediate opportunity to rebuild their roster from scratch. The Jets also have the second most cap space in the league, so they have a lot of cash to spend on surrounding Watson with an elite supporting cast. Even though they may currently have the league’s worst roster, their future would instantly turn around if Watson joined the team.
1. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers provide Watson with the most win now roster out of all of the potential suitors for him. The team already has an elite defense when healthy, and Watson would bring the offense from slightly above average to indisputably top 5. Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk would be great weapons for Watson to have in his arsenal. This team is a lot better on paper than their record showed, and they led the league in team injuries. They have the draft capital to give to the Texans, but the only concern for the 49ers is they may have to give up a young defensive star in Nick Bosa in order to land Watson.
What are your thoughts? Where do you think Deshaun Watson will end up? Leave a comment below.