There seems to be some turmoil within the Houston Texans’ organization. And perhaps it will only get worse.
Coach Bill O’Brien can’t seem to retain his top talents. Last offseason, he traded tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Miami Dolphins. This offseason, O’Brien shipped off DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. Is another departure coming in 2021 during next offseason?
The folks at BetOnline.com think that Deshaun Watson is next. He is the odds-on favorite to start at quarterback for New England in 2021.
It’s a wild scenario — though not totally insane.
O’Brien could, in theory, explore the idea of trading Watson, if the coach (and general manager) doesn’t think he can re-sign the quarterback to a long-term extension. Watson is playing for up to $2.4 million in 2020 with a fifth-year option in 2021. If the Texans struggle in 2020, they might consider trading Watson at midseason around the trade deadline. Houston could also see how contract negotiations go in 2021 before moving him to New England, if the Texans can’t appease Watson. And while it’s wild to imagine O’Brien ditching his franchise quarterback — especially after the Texans struggled so much at quarterback before Watson — the coach traded Hopkins. That trade trumps most logic, especially considering what Houston got in return.
It seem anything is possible.
Certainly, a Watson trade would make sense for the Patriots. Bill Belichick has shown a propensity to trade with his former employees, and O’Brien was once the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. And, of course, Tom Brady left New England in favor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. That has left the team with just quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler. To this point, the Patriots have made no indication on if they will pursue another option, whether in free agency, by trade or in the draft. But no matter who they start at quarterback in 2020, that player isn’t likely to trump Watson in 2021. He would be an enormous get for Belichick and New England.
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