Saints Expected to Meet With Deshaun Watson in Next 48 Hours

The Saints are expected to meet with Deshaun Watson in the next 48 hours ahead of the new league year starting.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Mar 14, 2022 11:24 AM EDT

The Saints and Panthers are among the teams set to meet with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the next 48 hours, according to a Monday morning report by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

We learned on Sunday that New Orleans reportedly had sent over a trade offer to Houston, but exact details are unknown. Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, so that means he'll be able to have his pick of where he wants to go. The Texans have signed off on these visits.

We looked at the cost of trading for Watson this morning, looking at the financials and draft pick/player implications. The Saints still have work to do to get under the salary cap on Wednesday afternoon, and taking on Watson's deal is not impossible, but could prove to be a big challenge to navigate. New Orleans has to improve their quarterback situation in 2022, as Dennis Allen cited that it was the most important decision the team could make.

Whoever lands Watson will undoubtedly absorb an interesting public relations situation, to say the least. If the Saints miss out on Watson, then a quick turn to Jameis Winston would be likely. However, the hourglass is dwindling for them to find someone.