Tag: Deshaun Watson texans

Deshaun Watson intercepted early by Texans rookie Jalen Pitre

Deshaun Watson’s return to the NFL saw a serious blip when Watson threw an interception to Texans rookie safety Jalen Pitre.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson hadn’t taken the field in 700 days before Sunday’s start against the Houston Texans, and we all know why.

Deshaun Watson’s massive deal is a repugnant black eye for the NFL

So, one would expect Watson to be rusty at the start. He certainly was, especially when the Browns got into the red zone late in the first quarter. Watson did help to facilitate that with a 27-yard deep pass to receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, but when he tried to hit receiver Amari Cooper in the end zone, Texans rookie safety Jalen Pitre came away with his third interception on the season.

The Browns traded for Watson. The Browns signed Watson to an unprecedented five-year, $230 million contract that is fully guaranteed. The Browns sat by while Watson served his 11-game suspension for multiple accusations of sexual assault, and now, the Browns have to hope that what they’ve seen from Watson to start is nothing more than rust.

Jon Gruden: ‘I don’t think there’s any way in the world’ Texans trade Deshaun Watson

If you think the Raiders and Jon Gruden are about to make a blockbuster deal for Deshaun Watson, maybe hold that thought.

Sometimes, news travels and develops in fortuitous ways. Regarding the ongoing issues between Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans, Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote a story on Tuesday indicating that several NFL insiders expect the Raiders to take calls regarding a possible trade of quarterback Derek Carr. Intimated in that possible deal? Watson going to the Raiders in return for Carr and what would have to be goodness knows how many first-round picks in return. Perhaps a quit claim deed on Allegiant Stadium to boot. 

Is there fire behind that smoke? At this point, it’s hard to say. The Texans have stayed put with their idea that Watson is the future of the franchise, no matter how much he wants out of there, and as Raiders general manager Mike Mayock himself told Bonsignore at the Senior Bowl that “the most important point is that Derek did have an exceptional year. I think he’s gotten better each year with Jon, which is kind of exciting to us internally.”

Finishing his thought on Carr, Mayock said that “I think we’re always interested in keeping good players for as long as we can.”

So, not an absolute, but not exactly a sign from above that the Raiders are open for business. If you want something a bit more definite, at least for now, Gruden was Tuesday’s guest on the must-listen Cris Collinsworth Podcast with Richard Sherman, and here’s exactly what he had to say about Watson’s situation. Collinsworth asked Gruden what it might take to pop Watson loose after the Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford trade, and here’s what the coach said:

“You know, that’s a great question. I personally look at this like a fantasy world. They have a new GM [Nick Caserio] who just went through a year in New England without Tom Brady. I think he has a pretty good idea just how important Deshaun Watson is to the Texans.

“I don’t think there’s any way in the world they trade Deshaun Watson. And if they did, the compensation would be like… they’d have to give up seven No. 1 [draft picks].

“I just think there’s a lot going on. Deshaun’s a great player, he’s a great kid, and I’m sure he’s very emotional right now for a number of reasons. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him that he’s going to be a great quarterback for a long time in Houston. He already signed that contract, and he’ll be a big part of that rebuild.”

Obviously, Gruden could be speaking some serious coachspeak here, but it’s also possible that we might want to pump the brakes on this one.

 

Four reasons why Deshaun Watson remains must-watch football

The Houston Texans are limping to a losing record, but Deshaun Watson remains a must-watch. These four throws are some of the reasons why.

The next two assignments on my “to-do” list are for next week. I am to put together the list of the most attractive general manager and head coaching spots that either are, or are likely to be, available next season. When it comes to the Houston Texans, you are talking about a team with minimal draft capital, decisions to be made about the salary cap, and holes to fill on both sides of the football. That does not sound enticing. But they still might be the best landing spot for both a head coach and a general manager for one reason:

Deshaun Watson.

It is flying under the radar because of their record, but Watson is playing at an extremely high level this season. He remains must-watch football each and every week, and last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts was no different. In another heart-breaking loss Watson was fantastic, completing 33 of 41 passes for 373 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. In this quick video breakdown you’ll see four of the many reasons Watson remains a priority of mine to study every Monday: