The New Orleans Saints are a team that has gotten serious about their entry into the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes.
According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, general manager Mickey Loomis is expected to make a big push for the former 2020 NFL passing champion as he seeks to find an adequate successor to Drew Brees, especially with coach Sean Payton having retired.
The [Houston] Texans still want a package of three first-round draft picks, other draft capital, and players in exchange for Watson. One player that sources predict would be part of a potential Saints trade is offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk. Defensive end Marcus Davenport, defensive tackle David Onyemata, and center Erik McCoy are other logical players that bear watching in a potential trade, sources said.
New Orleans currently is slated to pick No. 18 overall in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft. The Texans have the No. 3 overall pick. If the Watson trade included New Orleans’ 2022 first-rounder, and Houston made a selection with the pick, it would mark the first time since 2004 the Texans had two selections in the first round.
Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expected to have some interest in Watson, Tom Brady’s return more than likely nixes it. The Carolina Panthers are another NFC South team that has strong interest in Watson.