Deshaun Watson’s outing with some former college teammates is getting the trade rumor mill churning once again.
The Houston Texans quarterback had reportedly asked the team to be traded after a falling out with the front office over the direction of the franchise and some recent hiring and personnel decisions. There have been a number of teams pegged as potential suitors, but a new picture of Watson hanging out with some members of the Miami Dolphins has sharpened the focus on the AFC East team.
As the New York Post reported, a photo emerged showing Watson hanging out with Dolphins players Raekwon Davis and Christian Wilkins, who were his former teammates at Clemson. The picture had initially been posted over the weekend by Bryan Burney, Watson’s marketing agent, but caught some viral attention this week and sparked rumors that the Texans signal caller could be headed to Miami.
Other insiders believe that the Dolphins are a logical landing spot for Watson. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell speculated last month that Miami may be among the best-positioned teams to land the Pro Bowl signal caller, nothing that the team possesses the No. 3 overall pick that the Texans had sent last year as part of the Laremy Tunsil deal. He speculated that the Texans would also have their sights set on landing first-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who showed flashes of strong play in an otherwise uneven rookie season.
The Texans already have some connections to Tagovailoa. Dolphin Nation noted that new Texans general manager Nick Caserio was high on the Alabama quarterback ahead of last year’s NFL Draft and could see him as a potential franchise signal caller. Adding him could help pull off the deal, Barnwell speculated.
“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 ESPN report noted.
There have been a number of other clubs identified as potential trade partners, including the New York Jets, but it’s unclear whether the Texans would be willing to part with him. As The Inquisitr noted, the club does not have plans to move him and could potentially be prepared to levy a series of fines if Watson doesn’t report to training camp or decides to sit out the season, as some reports have indicated he might.