Trade Proposal Sends Deshaun Watson to Jets For Package Headlined By Quinnen Williams
Everyone knows it will to take quite the package to make a trade for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson this offseason. The return from New York to Houston in this trade proposal, however, is massive.
Peter King published a set of proposals in his latest Football Morning in America column for Pro Football Talk. To King, it would take the following to get Watson to New York:
Peter King Proposal: A 6-for-1 deal. Quarterback Sam Darnold, defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, first-round picks in 2021 (second overall) and 2022 (the higher of New York’s two first-round picks), plus second-round picks in 2021 (34th overall) and 2023 in exchange for Watson.
If you think about it, we've actually already seen a similar projection to this when it comes to the asking price for Watson.
Remember when the Houston Chronicle's John McClain tweeted out last month that it'll take "2 ones, 2 twos and 2 young defensive starters, at the least" to get Watson out of Houston? In response to McClain's report, we asked here at Jets Country if that type of asking price would take the Jets out of the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes.
Before breaking down this proposal any further, here's King's explanation:
GM Joe Douglas is a big home-grown advocate, and I believe New York would chafe at doing a mega-pick deal for Watson because too many dyed-in-the-wool scouts there believe in building the team through the draft. But so many of the ingredients are there. The Jets would be able to jettison a quarterback with some interesting value, along with the second overall pick plus a trove of draft currency.
King has a point. It doesn't take an insider to recognize that the Jets have more than enough draft capital to make this deal possible. Houston will be asking for a plethora of picks, and quite possibly some young players too, and New York certainly has selections to spare.
Where this gets dicey, however, is the inclusion of Quinnen Williams. Trading Sam Darnold here is fine, New York would need to get rid of the quarterback with Watson coming in, but Williams has proven through his first two NFL seasons that he has a special career ahead of him on the defensive line.
Plus, with new head coach Robert Saleh coming in (and a tremendous supporting cast of coaches), there's a good chance Williams can unlock his full potential in green and white going forward.
Would Jets general manager Joe Douglas (along with Saleh and the team's ownership) be willing to say goodbye to all of this draft capital AND a franchise defensive tackle? Watson is a top-five quarterback but ...
Even if he created the proposal, King doesn't necessarily see it coming to fruition because it's just too much of a haul for one player.
I’m just skeptical that Douglas would make this move. Obviously, he’d be thrilled to get Watson. But he knows he has a crummy overall roster and denuding his looming drafts I believe is too much for him to accept.
Besides, Watson has a no-trade clause. If he sees the roster looking the way it does in New York, subtracting all those picks and Williams, maybe he doesn't even give the Jets a chance. This team certainly won't be contending right away in 2021 and with the right supporting cast, Watson could win a Super Bowl as soon as next season.
If he wants to get out of Houston, and likes the culture Saleh is starting to build with Gang Green, however, then maybe he considers it.
MORE ON DESHAUN WATSON:
- Actor Kevin James Pleads With Deshaun Watson to Come to the Jets and 'Crush it' at Quarterback
- Report: Deshaun Watson Not Interested in Playing For Jets, 'Intrigued' By Broncos, 49ers
- Report: If the Texans Trade Deshaun Watson, It Will Be to the Jets
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), on Facebook (also @MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
