Deshaun Watson is reportedly on his way out of Houston and some insiders believe the New York Jets could be a top contender to land the Pro Bowl quarterback.
Watson has reportedly made it clear he wants out after a series of controversial decisions from the Texans. While it’s not clear yet what the Texans plans to do with the franchise signal caller, ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes the Jets could be a top suitor should he hit the trade block.
Schefter took to Twitter to respond to a tweet from the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who pointed out that New York could offer some enticing draft picks — including this year’s No. 2 overall pick — in a package that includes next year’s first-round pick.
As Schefter noted, the Jets appear to be the best positioned to put together a deal for Watson.
There’s no team out there better positioned than the New York Jets to put together a compelling trade package for Deshaun Watson. https://t.co/yAegDVMM38
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2021
New York had been in line for the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, but played their way out after winning a pair of games and lost the chance at picking signal caller Trevor Lawrence. Some insiders believe the team now intends to stick with third-year starter Sam Darnold instead, and could use the second overall selection as trade bait.
As Pro Football Talk reported, Watson wants out of Houston after a falling out with the front office and displeasure about the direction of the franchise. He reportedly became upset when they decided to ship away Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last offseason and got angry again when they disregarded his input about the hiring of a new general manager and head coach. The report noted that Watson suggested former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to be interviewed for the job.
But the outlet also added he hasn’t asked the team to deal him away.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Watson has not specifically requested a trade, yet,” the report noted.
“Although it’s moving in that direction, Watson realizes that using those words will take the situation past the point of no return. This means that, for now, it’s not past the point of no return.”
As The Inquisitr reported, some insiders believe a different AFC East team could be in the running for Watson. As Bleacher Report speculated, the Miami Dolphins are looking at a potential move at quarterback and could target Watson.
“Houston could get back its first- and second-round picks for this year in addition to Miami’s own draft compensation. [Tua] Tagovailoa would also serve as the quarterback of the future as the Texans head in a new direction,” the outlet reported.