New Reports Implicate Broncos in Deshaun Watson Trade Sweepstakes
So long as he avoids the Commissioner's Exempt List, even with 22 sexual misconduct allegations still unresolved, the tea leaves now suggest that Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson will be traded ahead of the 2021 season.
And the Denver Broncos, per new media dispatches, are not to be counted out as a frontrunner to acquire the reigning NFL passing champ.
"There’s only three teams, in talking to people around the league, that I know of, that really have the strong desire," Philadelphia Eagles reporter Howard Eskin said earlier this week on SportsRadio 94WIP, via 247Sports. "That would be Denver, Miami — who, they gave away their first-round pick to the Eagles, so that really weakens their position, because I think they’re starting to realize that Tua (Tagovailoa) is a stiff.
"But the Eagles have the three first-round picks, and that’s what they’re gonna have, and this is the prediction I’m going to make: based on the information that I got, when — and I’ll say when — he is traded, I think there is a 90% chance that he will be with the Philadelphia Eagles. And just based on all the information that I’ve gotten, that’s what I’ve come down to."
Previous reporting indicated the Broncos and Watson shared mutual interest early this offseason, with the former exercising due diligence on a potential deal before the latter landed himself in hot legal water, halting his meteoric career.
At last check — though it's difficult to wade through all the conjecture — the three-time Pro Bowler has "long been intrigued" by Denver, who are "monitoring the quarterback landscape around the league, Watson included." On multiple occasions, as well, Broncos safety Kareem Jackson, a former Texans teammate and close friend, has insisted the 25-year-old prefers to be in the Mile High City.
But Eskin insists differently, and so does ESPN's Adam Schefter, who earlier this month characterized Philadelphia as the suitor to "watch" in the Watson sweepstakes.
"There is no team out there, no team out there, better positioned and better armed to go trade for Deshaun Watson than the Philadelphia Eagles," Schefter said.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Watson was present at the start of Texans training camp on Sunday, reporting with the club's other QBs, but his "stance about the organization and desire to be traded remains unchanged."
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