The Houston Texans are in line to potentially trade Deshaun Watson and the Denver Broncos could be a trade destination.
The Houston Texans are the talk of football for all the wrong reasons.
The Texans announced Friday they had released star defensive end J.J. Watt after 10 years with the franchise. Houston will now save $17.5 million for the 2021 year by cutting ties with the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Watt wanted out well before the signings of new GM Nick Caserio and head coach David Culley. Earlier this season, the former Walter Payton Man of the Year said he wanted to play for a contender to close out his career.
Houston is at least two years away from being that.
The attention now turns back to Watson, who still wants out of the franchise after an offseason of turmoil. The usual suspects are the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins due to the draft capital.
There’s another name to watch for though. Why not the Denver Broncos? According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, that’s a team Watson would be interested in playing for.
Could the Broncos add Watson this offseason?
The Broncos could be an intriguing destination for Watson as the offense feels to be a quarterback away. There are multiple weapons with names such as Noah Fant, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and KJ Hamler. Overall, the offensive line is quite stable for pass protection.
Overall, it all comes down to cost. The Broncos hold the ninth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but that won’t be enough to move Watson in any given draft class. Houston would ask for likely two players and two first-round picks in return for Watson’s services.
Would Bradley Chubb become available? How about Sutton and Hamler to fix the offense? Naturally, Drew Lock would be in any deal for Denver, but the team will only be able to make him a fraction of the deal.
The Texans will have several tough decisions to make this offseason, but one of them isn’t trading Watson. Then again, should he never suit up for Houston again, they best get their money’s worth for a top-five quarterback.