The Deshaun Watson trade drama is at an all-time high, and whether or not he is the quarterback for the Houston Texans next season remains to be seen.
A report came out Saturday saying Watson prefers to play with either the New York Jets or Miami Dolphins, and the fact that he has a full no-trade clause makes it more difficult for the Texans.
While others could swoop in and make compelling offers to the Texans, Watson doesn't seem too excited to play elsewhere — at least according to the latest reports.
So, who has the better offer between the Jets and Dolphins, and which one should the Texans take if they indeed decide to pull the trigger?
Jets offer No. 2 and No. 23 in 2021 NFL Draft, two first-round picks in 2022, Sam Darnold
Sure, Sam Darnold might not make a ton of sense, but he could still be a serviceable starter and could bridge the gap if the Texans wanted to go that route.
Nonetheless, the rumored draft haul for Deshaun Watson is at least three firsts, and Houston would get four in this deal.
The second overall pick is a huge asset, and they could grab Justin Fields or Zach Wilson to be the face of the franchise for the future.
The Texans have traded away a lot of talent in recent years — DeAndre Hopkins the most surprising — so they aren't in win-now mode and could definitely use the extra draft picks. After all, they are without a first- and second-rounder in the 2021 NFL Draft, so adding assets might be beneficial for the new Texans regime.
They could use Darnold or flip him to another quarterback-needy team to acquire even more draft assets.
The two firsts in 2022 (one is from the Jamal Adams trade) would also be nice, especially if the Jets end up outside the playoff picture.
Four first-rounders — including No. 2 overall this year — plus Sam Darnold would be hard for the Texans to pass up, and it sure seems like Watson would love to play for the Jets and new head coach Robert Saleh.
Dolphins offer Tua Tagovailoa, No. 3 and No. 18 in 2021 NFL Draft, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick
Another huge package, and Deshaun Watson is definitely worth it.
It's not very often a top-tier quarterback becomes available, especially at the age of 25. Even though the Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa as their face of the franchise last year, the potential to add Watson is too good to pass up.
The Dolphins and Texans have been trading partners before. They swapped Laremy Tunsil for the Texans' 2021 first, which is allowing the Dolphins to select third overall in April.
That pick would go back to the Texans along with Tua and the 18th overall pick, so Houston could definitely benefit from two top-20 picks in the upcoming draft.
As for Tua, the former Alabama quarterback had an up-and-down first season in the NFL, repeatedly getting benched for journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Dolphins just barely missed the playoffs.
Still, Watson is a sure thing and a stud, and Tagovailoa has questions and injury history, so this would be an easy deal for the Dolphins to make.
For the Texans, they would get a franchise quarterback and the third overall pick — perhaps Oregon lineman Penei Sewell.
The Texans would also get back into the first in 2022 and would be excited to have draft picks before round three in 2021.
Better offer?
Both of these offers are huge for good reason. The question for the Texans is would they rather have Tua or Fields as their quarterback?
The head coach position is still vacant, so they might wait until they hire a coach before making a deal. However, the Jets' offer might be a bit better for the Texans.
Houston can select the player it wants at No. 2, whether it's a quarterback or not. They would also get an extra first in 2021 and a pair of firsts next year, which is needed for a team in rebuild mode.
While the Dolphins' offer is also tantalizing, the doubts and concerns about Tua might scare off Houston.
Either way, Houston will get a massive haul for Deshaun Watson if a trade is made.
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