When is the best time for the Texans to trade QB Deshaun Watson?
No Houston sports fan wants to see the Texans trade quarterback Deshaun Watson.
However, if the Texans and Watson can’t get over the impasse in their relationship, then Houston will have to consider to dealing the three-time Pro Bowler to a franchise that he likes. Here is a ranking of the best and worst times during points in the offseason and training camp to trade Watson.
1. Free agency (February-March)
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This was the same time that the Texans dealt DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2020 offseason. If the Texans execute the trade in the free agency period, they will have more teams they can partner with on a trade. Teams will also have more flexibility at this time as they have yet to invest their salary cap space into free agents. With more teams to deal with, Watson's no-trade clause doesn't have the same veto power as it would at any other time.
2. NFL draft (April)
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The list of teams to work with gets narrower as the draft approaches, but the Texans can still pick up a decent haul of selections to kickstart the rebuild. If the Texans wait this long to deal Watson, he could be looking at the New York Jets or Miami Dolphins as his new teams, as they the availability and resources to reasonably acquire the three-time Pro Bowler.
3. Preseason (August)
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Something strange always happens in preseason. For the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, it was Andrew Luck retiring. For some teams, their starting quarterback will be out for the year or they bungled their quarterback situation. If there is a team that believes they have a contender in place but are just a quarterback away, they might be willing to sacrifice draft picks for Watson.
4. Offseason workouts (May-July)
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Teams really have their rosters in place and want to see what kind of team they have at this point in the season. No one will want to give up the farm for Watson as the demand won't be there at this particular time. Even from a Texans perspective, trading their best asset during this time of low demand would be such a horrible strategy and wouldn't net the necessary compensation to successfully initiate a rebuild.
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