More Fun With Quarterbacks
There were a whole lot of reports floating around Thursday involving veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson, and they actually went in different directions at times.
But because of the magnitude of each player, any development is newsworthy, particularly for a team that could use a franchise quarterback — such as the Miami Dolphins.
We'll start with the latest report involving Watson, which revealed a Friday meeting between the quarterback and new Houston Texans head coach David Culley, at which time Watson made it clear he has no desire to remain with the franchise that drafted him 12th overall in 2017.
That came after a tweet suggesting the Texans were dug into their position that are not going to trade Watson.
Oddsmakers seems to believe the Texans because Houston remains the favorite to be Watson's team in 2021.
The Dolphins are the fourth-biggest favorites to have Watson in 2021, according to covers.com, after Houston, the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos.
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The Dolphins also have odds on being able to land Wilson after reports surfaced on the quarterback's displeasure with the Seattle Seahawks.
The report, citing sources, said Wilson's camp has approached the Seahawks about the possibility of a trade and included Miami among his potential destinations, along with the Jets, Raiders and Saints.
A later report Thursday afternoon by ESPN insider Adam Schefter suggested that Wilson didn't necessarily want to be traded but his listed of potential destinations did NOT include Miami.
Wilson is among eight players around the NFL with a no-trade clause, according to ESPN reporter Field Yates, and Watson incidentally is another.
Wilson has three years left on the four-year, $140 million extension he signed with the Seahawks in 2019. He's coming off a season where he set career highs in completion percentage (68.8) and touchdown passes (40) and had his second-highest passing yardage total (4,212), though he did fade down the stretch after looking like the MVP front-runner in the first half of the season.
Like Watson, Wilson is a bona fide franchise quarterback, which is why the Seahawks shouldn't be lacking for offers should they decide to trade him.
But Wilson is 33, eight years older than Watson, which is why he's not going to command as much of a return in any trade scenario.
For the Dolphins, the appeal would be simple: the opportunity to land a proven franchise quarterback.
And, as is the case with Watson, the Dolphins absolutely should investigate the situation if the opportunity presents itself.
This is not a slight on Tua Tagovailoa, who the Dolphins selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, but getting a proven franchise quarterback given the opportunity is always preferable to hoping for the development of a young player into one.
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There would be nothing wrong with the Dolphins heading into the 2021 season with Tagovailoa as their starter and adding pieces around him to help him take the next step, but that is a projection.
Wilson and Watson are not projections. They're stars already.
Watson is a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback who helped the Texans win the AFC South in 2018 and 2019 before the team had a Murphy's Law 2020 season.
Wilson has helped Seattle reach the playoffs every single year of his career except for one — and even that year the Seahawks finished with a winning record (9-7).
If either Watson or Wilson are put on the trade market, the Dolphins absolutely should investigate the possibility and then evaluate if the asking price is too high.
Based on multiple reports, it might take as much as the equivalent of four first-round picks to land Watson. For Wilson, the price should be a little less (maybe three first-round picks) because of the age difference.
The Dolphins have the draft capital to make something happen if they want and, yes, have enough left over to put a solid team around whatever quarterback ends up starting for them in 2021.
Besides, even if they didn't add anybody else to the roster, didn't they go 10-6 in 2020? Wouldn't Wilson or Watson have been good for at least one or two more wins?
So this notion that any trade for Watson or Wilson would leave the Dolphins with a talent-free roster around them is just silly.
And all that cap space that would be taken by either Watson or Wilson? The Chiefs don't seem to have an issue with that with Patrick Mahomes.
As the saying goes, when there's a will, there's a way.
Will Wilson or Watson end up in Miami? Will either even get traded at all?
Who knows?
What we do know is that if either quarterback is put on the market, many teams will be calling. And the Dolphins most definitely should be one of them.
