More details are emerging on the New Orleans Saints’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson, and it’s becoming clear where the drive to go get the controversial Houston Texans quarterback. Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan reports that first-year head coach Dennis Allen is putting the most pressure on this Watson chase in New Orleans, writing: “It’s notable that this is a move Payton would not have made. He was not a big Watson fan. So this isn’t just Allen’s first major venture, it’s his true foray outside the Payton Way.”
That’s a sentiment shared by the Houston Chronicle’s Jeff McClain, who said: “Until Sean Payton retired and was replaced by defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, the Saints hadn’t shown interest in Watson, but that’s changed. They need a quarterback desperately unless they choose to re-sign Jameis Winston.”
This isn’t too surprising. Any new coach’s odds of keeping the job are tied to their handpicked quarterback, and clearly Allen wasn’t sold on Winston to such a degree that he isn’t willing to gut the next three Saints draft classes in a bold move for Watson. That makes sense from a pure talent standpoint. When he was at his best, Watson was maybe the best passer in the league not named Patrick Mahomes. If that’s all you care about, and football teams like the Saints are in the business of winning football games, it’s the direction you take this quarterback search. Obviously Allen feels Watson gives him the best chance to win games and hold onto his job.
We can’t focus our attention just on what Watson’s done on the field, though. That isn’t the whole story and omitting the 22 allegations of sexual misconduct against him is irresponsible. Watson is actively scheduling meetings with teams like the Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns so as to not conflict with his civil deposition on Tuesday in which he will finally address the claims made against him, having chosen to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights to avoid doing so in criminal court on March 11. As media covering the team and the players it is connected to, we have a responsibility to keep this situation at the forefront.
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