Seahawks Out of Running For Deshaun Watson

Days after trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos, the Seahawks may have had their sights set on swinging for the fences to find another star quarterback to replace him. But it takes two to tango and Deshaun Watson doesn't share the same interest in coming to the Pacific Northwest.

Per a report from John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, Watson rejected the opportunity to meet with Seattle, writing he may not have had interest in playing for them due to location. Instead, the Texans star signal caller reportedly met with Carolina and New Orleans on Tuesday night in Houston and those two teams look to be the front runners to acquire him.

Another separate report from ESPN's Dianna Russini simply stated the Seahawks wouldn't meet with Watson "for now."

Despite ongoing legal issues stemming from 22 civil lawsuits filed against him, Watson wasn't indicted last Friday, opening the gates for interested teams to make a bid to trade for him. The Seahawks hoped to be able to throw their hats in the ring with three first-round picks and four second-round picks over the next two years and nearly $50 million in cap space heading into the start of free agency.

Based on his meetings with the Panthers and Saints, however, Watson appears to favor joining a team in the south, which shouldn't be a surprise since he was born and raised in Georgia before playing collegiately at Clemson.

Assuming the Seahawks are indeed out of the picture for Watson, the organization will have to shift their attention to a market with dwindling options. Two other veteran signal callers - Falcons star Matt Ryan and Vikings veteran Kirk Cousins - recently received restructured or extended contracts and won't be available for trade. Free agents Mitch Trubisky and Teddy Bridgewater signed with the Steelers and Dolphins respectively on Monday as well, taking two free agent options off the table.

If Seattle wants to bring an experienced starter on board through the free agent route to compete against Drew Lock, former top picks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota may be the best remaining options. Winston started seven games for New Orleans before tearing his ACL and undergoing reconstructive knee surgery, while Mariota has been a backup in Las Vegas behind Derek Carr each of the past two seasons after starting his career in Tennessee.

Other alternatives include former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who threw passes to receiver Tyler Lockett on Monday and previously had been linked to the team in 2017 and 2018, as well as veterans Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Tyrod Taylor, and Jacoby Brissett.

As far as the trade market goes, Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew and Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley are high-upside backups who could be starters at least in the short term. The former would be especially intriguing for fans given his prior success starring at nearby Washington State in coach Mike Leach's Air Raid offense. But trading for either player may require giving up more draft capital than the Seahawks are comfortable surrendering to acquire them.

Seattle also holds the No. 9 overall pick in April's draft courtesy of the Wilson trade to Denver as well as two second-round picks at No. 40 and 41 overall. Whether or not another established veteran is signed or traded for in coming days, the organization will likely use one of those three picks to bring in a rookie signal caller to groom and compete for playing time right away.

Regardless, the Seahawks find themselves in uncharted territory without Wilson slotted as the quarterback for the first time in the decade. With fewer and fewer options to choose from at the most important position in professional sports, the situation isn't an ideal one for a franchise that hoped to avoid an all-out rebuild heading into 2022.