Why the Jaguars Should Be Paying Attention to the Deshaun Watson & Russell Wilson Situations
In a few short months, the Jacksonville Jaguars will almost certainly be selecting a quarterback with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft -- with the smart money being on Clemson's Trevor Lawrence.
As a direct result, the Jaguars are likely to sit out of an offseason quarterback sweepstakes that could see elite passers like Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson be traded. For the first time in the history of the Jaguars as a franchise, they don't need to be asking "should we?" when a top name at quarterback becomes available.
Related: 5 Reasons Why a Deshaun Watson to the Jaguars Trade Wouldn’t Make Sense
But even though the Jaguars have the chance to acquire their own franchise quarterback without sending a haul of draft picks, they should still have their eyes all over the situations in each Houston and Seattle. They shouldn't entertain the idea of trading the top pick, and Lawrence, for either quarterback, but they should monitor the situations of each quarterback as close as any other team.
No, the Jaguars shouldn't call Houston about a misguided swap for Watson and the top pick. But they should do their homework on every little step that led to Houston's relationship with Deshaun Watson to turn into a drama-filled standoff. They should understand the problems that persisted in Houston's organization that led to one of the NFL's brightest young stars not wanting to suit up for the team.
The Jaguars shouldn't do what the Browns reportedly did in 2018 and engage in even limited conversations about sending the top pick for Wilson, no matter how much success he has found at this stage of his career.
But they should examine closely why a rift has suddenly grown between a team and quarterback that was once thought to be as tied to the hip as any other pairing outside of New England and Tom Brady. They should look into all of the reasons why Wilson has reportedly grown displeased with the Seahawks, and understand why a franchise quarterback could question his own standing in the organization that drafted, developed, and eventually paid him.
The Jaguars should do all of this to ensure they don't repeat the mistakes of the Texans and the Seahawks. They need to have an outlined plan for Lawrence's present and future, and understand the importance of a franchise quarterback.
The only way for the Jaguars to find sustainable success in the future is to foster a positive and winning long-term environment around Lawrence, or whoever else their quarterback ever is.
No, Lawrence hasn't earned the kind of respect and credibility level at the NFL level that Watson and Wilson have. Wilson has been to two Super Bowls, winning one, and Watson is arguably the NFL's second-best young quarterback behind only Patrick Mahomes. Lawrence has yet to take an NFL snap, by comparison.
But if things go as planned -- if Lawrence is the quarterback the Jaguars desperately need him to be, and the quarterback he has long been projected as -- then the Jaguars will eventually find themselves in the situation in which Lawrence will go from starting quarterback to partner in the franchise.
The NFL has been slow to adjust to the fact that players run the league. By contrast, the NBA's free agency and subsequent team-building strategies are completely dominated by the players because the NBA has realized they are the ones who hold power. They have invited the players to the decision-making table with open arms.
The NFL hasn't been as quick to do so, as evidenced by the Watson and Wilson situations. Each quarterback has been given a massive contract by the team which showed a commitment to them, but the problems each quarterback reportedly has with their franchises stem from an inability to get themselves involved at a decision-making and control level. They reportedly want their voices heard and so far, it doesn't seem that has happened.
Whether franchise quarterbacks should help dictate which coaches get interviewed and which players are signed is a different question entirely, but Watson has already put the Texans into a no-win situation. Wilson has yet to do so, but it certainly appears that he is closer than ever to leaving Seattle via a trade.
The Texans and Seahawks were too slow to recognize the importance of the quarterback's voice. Now, each is at risk of losing their star quarterback. The Texans seem significantly closer to doing so than the Seahawks, but the fact that it is even a question in Seattle is a mistake by the Seahawks' own doing.
Jacksonville can't ever let it get that far with Lawrence. If/when he develops into the franchise quarterback the Jaguars need, they will have to ensure they don't run the risk of losing their star like other teams currently are.
Quarterbacks run the NFL. That is as true today as it will be in five years. To ensure the Jaguars don't test fate, they need to learn this lesson the easy way and not the hard way like Houston and potentially Seattle.
