Deshaun Watson has formally asked for a trade and the next stop for the Pro Bowl quarterback could be the Miami Dolphins .
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, Watson made it clear to the team that he wanted out of Houston, reiterating that the new coaching hire had not changed his previous request.
“Deshaun Watson officially has requested a trade from the Houston Texans, per league sources. He actually did it weeks ago,” Schefter tweeted . “Their new head-coaching hire, David Culley, has not and will not alter Watson’s thinking.”
Watson had reportedly been upset about the direction of the franchise and how his input was ignored before the hire of new general manager Nick Caserio, and his relationship with the front office was said to be irreparably damaged. There had already been a number of reports indicating that Watson asked the front office for a move to give him a fresh start, and rumors have been building about potential partners. As ESPN’s Bill Barnwell noted, the Dolphins appear to be the best positioned and the most motivated to land him.
Barnwell noted the Dolphins have plenty of assets to pull off the swap, including the No. 3 overall draft pick that the Texans had already sent to Miami last year as part of the Laremy Tunsil trade. The Texans would also likely want the package to include first-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who would be expendable with Watson coming to South Beach to take over starting duties.
Deshaun Watson has requested a trade.
The Texans have said, privately, they don’t want to trade him.
Deshaun is intelligent–highly. He won’t want to force his way out and waive his no-trade to a team that’s rebuilding.
But he doesn’t control the comp Houston will ask for pic.twitter.com/N2JnneGwfB
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 28, 2021
As The Inquisitr reported, there could be traction to a deal that includes him. Dolphin Nation reported that Caserio was very interested in the former Alabama signal caller ahead of last year’s draft, and the franchise could view him as an immediate replacement for Watson. That could make the Dolphins an even more attractive partner for the Texans as the franchise looks to shore up a deal.
“It is totally unclear how likely it is that Watson ends up in Miami. However, if the Texans do indeed see Tagovailoa as a valuable asset, it must be assumed that the chances of a trade increase,” the report noted.
It’s not clear if Tagovailoa would end up being part of the deal, Barnwell added, as the No. 3 pick alone would be incredibly valuable given the number of highly rated quarterbacks in this year’s draft. The Texans could use it to snag one of the top signal callers or flip it to another team for multiple first-rounders, he speculated.