The 49ers are finally working their way into the Deshaun Watson trade conversation after most early discussions from national reporters revolved around the Dolphins and Jets. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported San Francisco is one of the teams Watson found intriguing.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a trade is imminent though, and the Texans are holding steadfast in their willingness to let Watson sit out the entire season in hopes of eventually salvaging their relationship with their franchise signal caller.
What could ensue is a long standoff between the two sides that lasts through the season. If they do wind up deciding to move on from Watson, Peter King in his Football Morning in America column noted it could happen as late as September. That would be a scenario where Houston exhausts all avenues before giving in.
Let’s go to a world where that takes place and Houston at the start of September begins fielding calls about the QB.
While it would put Watson way behind the curve with his new club to the point he may not be able to start the season, it could make a hefty trade package easy for San Francisco to pull the trigger on.
Assuming it includes at least three first-round picks, there’s a strong likelihood those picks would all be late selections given what Watson would do for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers’ offense. They’d also have this year’s No. 12 pick on the roster and wouldn’t have to include it in that group of picks.
It’d also make a team like the Jets or Dolphins less enticing trade partners since they’d no longer have the second and third picks in this year’s draft — one of the key reasons they’ve been named as possible trade candidates.
The long wait would also be easier because of the 49ers’ willingness to stick with Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s not the ideal quarterback, but they’re also not itching to part ways with him. If they have to sit on their hands while waiting for Watson to come available, they can do so knowing they have a signal caller they’re comfortable with if a trade never comes to fruition.
A name like Watson’s even getting whispers on the trade market will make him a story until he’s either suiting up for Houston again or until he’s finally moved. It sounds like it could be a long wait on an eventual trade, but San Francisco is in a good position to wait, and Watson is a potential trade target worth waiting for.