Two of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks could be swapping teams this offseason, a new report suggests.
Deshaun Watson has been the centerpiece of offseason rumors since reportedly asking the Houston Texans for a trade after a falling out with the front office. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys have had difficulty ironing out a long-term contract extension for Dak Prescott, with another franchise tag potentially looming.
Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum suggested that both teams could find a solution by swapping their signal callers. He speculated that the Cowboys could sign Prescott and then make a player-for-player swap for Watson. This swap would allow the Cowboys to cut their losses after not signing Prescott to an extension at the completion of his rookie deal, when the price would have been lower, and allows the Texans to still have a top-tier quarterback while honoring Watson’s trade request.
“Two years ago, it would have been about $32 to $33 million a year for Dak Prescott,” Tannenbaum said, per the Twitter embed below. “Now that number is going to be closer to $40 million in five or six years. That’s about a $50 million mistake. Kirk Cousins is a great example, and Dak’s going to do even better. One way for Jerry Jones, who’s in a very unique position of not having leverage, trade for Deshaun Watson get a player who’s slightly better under contract for five years.”
“They could [sign Dak Prescott] and they could trade him straight up for Deshaun Watson.” @RealTannenbaum on the Cowboys ? pic.twitter.com/5ID9Oywa9S
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 15, 2021
It’s not clear if the Cowboys would be interested in the hypothetical scenario, as the team is able to re-enter negotiations now that his franchise tag has expired. As ESPN noted, the franchise tag rules barred the sides from talking about or completing a new contract before the completion of the 2020 season.
There are others who have suggested that Watson could be part of a mega deal. As The Inquisitr noted, Nick Wright of Fox Sports 1 suggested that he could be part of a four-team deal that would also move Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold, and Russell Wilson to new teams, as seen below.
. @getnickwright has created what he considers his masterpiece — a 4-team NFL Super Trade:
Seahawks get: Jimmy G, Nick Bosa, 23rd pick & ’22 1st Rd pick (SF) 49ers get: Deshaun Watson Texans get: 2nd, 12th, 34th picks, ’22 1st Rd pick (NYJ) & Sam Darnold Jets get: Russell Wilson pic.twitter.com/Ug4YTwEB1E
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 12, 2021
It remains unclear whether the Texans would be willing to move Watson. Despite his public displeasure with the direction of the team and some recent hiring and personnel decisions, the club has reportedly told potential trade partners that he is not available. That could set up a showdown as the offseason goes on, with Houston able to levy fines and eventually dock Watson’s pay should he decide to not report, which he has reportedly considered.