Lions-Rams trade sheds light on Texans QB Deshaun Watson’s value
The Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions swapped more than starting quarterbacks on Saturday night.
The Rams traded two first-round picks (2022 and 2023), a 2021 third-round pick, and starting quarterback Jared Goff for the rights to Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Given that Watson has three Pro Bowl selections and a playoff win on his résumé and is 25 years old, the price the Rams paid has to be considered the floor for the former 2017 first-round pick.
If the trade partner doesn’t have a starting quarterback to offer, as the Rams did, it could make the collection of draft picks even greater, or it could mean a team has to part with one of its top-3 best players along with a haul of draft picks.
A good example might be the Denver Broncos. They can have Watson, but they have to consider throwing Von Miller in the package.
If the Carolina Panthers have plans for Teddy Bridgewater to be Watson’s backup, then they would need to provide Christian McCaffrey as trade bait, or commit more draft picks along with a package that includes Bridgewater.
As far as general manager Nick Caserio is concerned, any talks of the Texans trading Watson is one, big hypothetical the organization does not want to get into.
“We have zero interest in trading the player,” Caserio said. “We have a great plan, a great vision for him and for this team and his role on our team and we look forward opportunity to spend more time with him here this spring.”
New coach David Culley essentially told reporters during his introductory presser on Jan. 29 that he took the job with the expectation Watson would be his starting quarterback.
“The reason I’m in this position today is because I knew he’s going to be a Houston Texan,” said Culley. “And so that, the outside stuff that was being said was irrelevant to me because the most important thing to me is that, at that time, was figuring out what can I do, after talking with Nick and this family, to become the head coach of the Houston Texans.”
If the Texans move on from Watson, now they have an idea of where the offers begin.
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