Houston sports fans need to to relax and calm down.
The Texans are not going to trade Deshaun Watson, and they aren’t even going to entertain such a trade involving their three-time Pro Bowler, who is the cornerstone of the franchise and key reason why they have even made the playoffs two of the last three seasons.
Newly appointed general manager Nick Caserio’s first move is not going to be trading away the franchise’s best quarterback in its history. If Caserio is truly going to right the ship that O’Brien ran aground, it doesn’t start with doing even more damage than O’Brien could have possibly imagined — for mid-round draft picks, of course.
Even if hypothetically speaking a team calls the Texans to inquire about a trade for Watson, it better start off with a bare minimum of three first-round picks just to keep the phone from hanging up. At that price, teams would be better off taking someone in the draft themselves and cultivating that talent rather than mortgaging their future.
If anyone is getting traded, look for Whitney Mercilus and J.J. Watt as Caserio works to get some traction going in an offseason where the club won’t have a first or second-round pick.
Trading Mercilus or Watt or both should net you at least a third-round pick or possibly a second. Also in free agency there are a few players the Texans could look at, like receiver Allen Robinson and pairing him with Brandin Cooks. There are many needs for the Texans this offseason and while most will not get filled in just one offseason we should have a better view and idea of how this team is going to be shaped in the coming months.
Trading Watson is not how the Texans are going to right the ship. Every article entertaining the idea is just another announcement of, ‘this way to the egress.’ Texans fans need to wait patiently and see who the club hires as a coach. Maybe that is the move that finally pacifies Watson and the trade rumors fade away.