Broncos Fans Shouldn't Get Caught Up in Deshaun Watson Trade Rumors

Over the last day or two, a bombshell rumor has captivated the attention of NFL fans. And sure enough, that wildfire has jumped the highway and is now blazing through Broncos Country.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported that there's a "growing buzz in league circles that Deshaun Watson could ask to be traded."

There's a growing buzz in league circles that Deshaun Watson could ask to be traded, and his new contract doesn't make that as difficult as you'd think https://t.co/wvY5BxQZRq
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 7, 2021

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The Broncos have the fourth-best odds to be Watson's next team according to SportsBetting.com at 5/1.

Naturally, my social media mentions have already been importuned by Denver Broncos fans seeking insight on whether the team could be in the running. Assuming this rumor is true. Keep in mind, this could be completely unfounded.

Would it be a good thing for the Broncos to have Watson as their quarterback? Of course. In a perfect world, why not?

Would it make good football sense to go all-in on offering the Houston Texans what would likely amount to an unprecedented king's ransom to land Watson? No. Because, my friends, the world ain't perfect.

Watson is a phenomenal talent. But he hasn't been able to carry a flawed team in Houston. What makes anyone think Watson could carry an equally flawed Broncos squad, especially knowing that such a trade would take Denver out of commission in the early rounds of the draft over the next two-to-three years?

By giving up the slew of Day 1 and 2 draft picks it would take to ply Watson off Houston's hands, the Broncos would only get him to Denver to see him be handcuffed again due to a lack of resources needed to put the roster building-blocks in place to compete. In such a scenario, perhaps Watson would flash with a few big games here and there but the Broncos, without those requisite draft picks needed to finish rebuilding this team, would be stuck in limbo in the short term.

The farm, the barn, the ranch -- an unprecedented king's ransom. https://t.co/PNJuhonpx3
— Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) January 7, 2021

Also, the Broncos would have to shoulder Watson's current contract, which is exorbitant due to his considerable talent. Last fall, Watson signed a four-year extension worth $156 million with $110M guaranteed.

Could this version of the Broncos absorb a QB contract north of $30 million/year starting in 2022? No way.

Right now, the Watson rumor, and the illogical leap of connecting those dots to any team including the Broncos, is an exercise in the futile. Not only are the Broncos undergoing a massive search for a new general manager but the Texans literally just hired a new GM named Nick Caserio, who likely doesn't take kindly to the notion of trading away the top roster asset he has to begin his front-office tenure.

Watson might be unhappy. He might ask the new GM for a trade. But that doesn't mean he'll get it.

The Broncos are in no position to go giving up the farm to land a quarterback, as talented as he is, only to be hand-cuffed for the next three-plus years. The best bet for Denver is to find the right GM and set about fixing this team the old fashioned way; through the NFL draft.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.