Richard Sherman: Deshaun Watson Should 'Head to New York'
Even players from other organizations think Deshaun Watson should be traded to the New York Jets.
Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, who has spent the last three years playing for the San Francisco 49ers, said Watson should find his way to New York.
"I'd get out of there as quickly as possible," Sherman said on The Cris Collinsworth Podcast. "I'd head to New York."
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The top-five quarterback appears to want out of Houston. It's been reported over the last several weeks and Watson himself has even alluded to it on social media. The former first-rounder has been with the Texans for four seasons, after being drafted out of Clemson in 2017, but his relationship with the organization has progressively gotten worse. It reached what seems to be a point of no return during Houston's general manager and head coaching search.
That doesn't necessarily guarantee Watson will be traded. Houston's new general manager Nick Caserio will surely do his best to keep Watson around. With the right deal, however, it's possible that the Texans will agree to start fresh with a wad of draft picks and plenty of cap space rather than their franchise quarterback.
If there's a team that can make a trade like that happen, it's the Jets. New York has two first-rounders in the next two drafts, a plethora of early-round selections over the next several years and a young quarterback in Sam Darnold they could package in a trade as well.
Whether or not Watson will want to play for the Jets is another story. The 25-year-old has a no-trade clause, meaning he can ultimately decide what team he wants to play for. After all, the Jets are coming off a 2-14 season and don't have as talented of a roster as other teams that could be in the market to trade for Watson.
It's worth noting, however, that Sherman is quite familiar with the Jets' new head coach, Robert Saleh. The corner has played under Saleh since 2018, experiencing Saleh's leadership and intensity firsthand. He can vouch for the type of culture Watson would be a part of if he played for the Jets in 2021 and beyond.
Sherman also spent time in the same organization as Mike LaFleur, the former 49ers passing game coordinator, who is reportedly taking over as New York's offensive coordinator under Saleh. Could those two coaches influence Watson to say yes when it comes to playing in New York?
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If Watson truly wants to get out of Houston, there's no doubt he's considering every possible avenue going forward. That's why Sherman's comments shouldn't be ignored. Not only does Sherman believe Watson would benefit from joining forces with his old coaches, but it would be a massive step toward contention for the Jets organization.
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