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This Deshaun Watson News Bodes Well For the Jets

Deshaun Watson reportedly wants out of Houston no matter what head coach the Texans hire. That's good news for the Jets if they truly want to acquire the star quarterback.
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While there's no guarantee the Jets will be the team that makes a trade for Deshaun Watson this offseason, the likeliness of the star quarterback being dealt continues to rise.

Watson wants out of Houston and that mindset is not expected to change regardless of which head coach the franchise hires, according to a report from ESPN on Sunday

In other words, even if the Texans end up hiring one of the coaches that Watson wants, it won't be enough to keep him around.

Watson's displeasure with the organization has continued to grow over the last several weeks after the 25-year-old wasn't involved in Houston's general manager search. He's been with Houston since he was selected in the first round back in 2017, making three Pro Bowl appearances over his first four years in the NFL. 

The Texans are the only team left with a head coaching vacancy this offseason. They're set to bring Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier in for an in-person interview on Tuesday, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy still remains available. 

This latest development is good news for the Jets considering Watson is reportedly interested in playing in New York. Therefore, if there's no chance the Texans can win back his trust and he does end up requesting a trade, the Jets would be in a prime position to negotiate with Houston. Remember, Watson has a no-trade clause and can decide whether or not he wants to be traded to certain organizations. 

After the Jets, Watson reportedly would prefer to play for the Miami Dolphins. New York may be in the best position among all possible suitors to make a deal, however, when considering their draft capital and cap space. 

Further, and speaking of head coaches, Watson is interested in playing for the Jets because of Robert Saleh. 

"Watson this week told people the Jets are his top preference among the teams he’d like to be traded to because they hired Robert Saleh to be their coach and Watson values Saleh so much he wanted the Texans to interview him for their vacant head coach job," Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald wrote in a report on Saturday morning. 

That in mind, any possibility of Watson being traded to the Jets may end up coming down to whether or not general manager Joe Douglas and the team's ownership wants to make the deal. There appears to be mutual interest from both sides—New York would be silly not to at least inquire about a trade for the top-five quarterback—but it would cost them quite a bit to come to an agreement. If it took Seattle two first-rounders (and more) to get Jamal Adams from the Jets last offseason, New York would likely need to send Houston three first-round picks in addition to other selections and potentially players as well.

Watson was one of the best at his position in 2020, leading the league with 4,823 passing yards. In the right situation, he can take a franchise to the next level and keep them there, in championship contention, for many years to come.

MORE: Jets' Head Coach Robert Saleh Noncommittal on Sam Darnold's Future in New York

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