Texans Prepared To Keep Deshaun Watson Inactive For 2021
It doesn’t look like a Deshaun Watson trade is imminent, and it certainly doesn’t look like he’ll be playing for the Texans anytime soon. A third, and perhaps most likely, option has now emerged.
Houston is “prepared to have Deshaun Watson on the 53-man roster and inactive every week,” sources told veteran NFL writer Aaron Wilson (Twitter link). That echoes the sentiment from Albert Breer of SI.com, who has some additional details. Notably, Breer reports that “packages involving three first-round picks (and then some) were discussed by interested teams,” before the sexual harassment allegations against Watson came to light.
Breer says, like we’ve heard before, that teams now want to make any draft picks traded for Watson conditional based on his availability to play. Breer writes that he hasn’t “gotten any indication that the Texans are willing to tie their return to those sorts of contingencies,” leading us to the current impasse.
To make it even more firm, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic tweets that Houston “has no intentions of trading Watson” right now, and that the team “turned down a huge offer” from a rival franchise over the summer.
If interested teams and the Texans are both locked in on those positions, which makes perfect sense, Houston holding on to Watson until his off-field issues are resolved would seem to be the logical move.
One reason the Texans might be incentivized to hold out until the offseason would be that they would know the precise value of any 2022 draft picks they were trading for, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network points out (Twitter video link). They wouldn’t have to guess about where their trade partner would end up in the draft order.
On the other hand, Rapsheet also points out that there’s no guarantee the civil (and potentially criminal) proceedings against Watson are wrapped up by the spring either. Even still, it now sounds like the Texans paying Watson $10.54MM to not play for them in 2021 might be the likeliest scenario.
Texans To Trade Shaq Lawson To Jets
On Sunday, the Texans agreed to trade edge rusher Shaq Lawson to the Jets (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In exchange, New York will send a sixth-round draft pick to Houston. 
Lawson came to Houston earlier this year in the deal that sent inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami. He turned in a solid, if unspectacular, 2020 campaign with the Dolphins. Previous to that, Lawson recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks for the Bills in 2019. For his career, Sack-a-Shaq has 20.5 sacks across five pro seasons.
The Jets will now take on Lawson and the rest of his contract. That means a paltry $1.4M in 2021 plus club control in 2022 with no guaranteed money. So, if Lawson is a bust, the Jets can drop him without penalty. And, if things work out, they can keep him for ’22 for a $8.9MM salary. It’s a savvy move for Joe Douglas & Co. — they gave up very little to fortify their defensive line in the wake of Carl Lawson‘s season-ending Achilles tear.
Lawson might not be a world-beater, but he was probably their best option after losing C. Lawson and Vinny Curry in a short span.
“It’s always easy to play the fictional game of, ‘Let’s go get somebody,’ but the reality is [it’s] few and far between in terms of what’s available,” head coach Robert Saleh said recently. “Now, obviously, Joe and his staff are working relentlessly, always trying to look at the roster and always communicating.”
Lawson has a little over two weeks to cram on his new team’s playbook. The Jets kick off the 2021 season on Sept. 12 when they face the Panthers in Carolina.
Texans Shift Tytus Howard To LG
The Texans selected Tytus Howard in the first round of the 2019 draft, doing so with the thought that he might be the club’s long-term solution at left tackle. The pick was seen as something of a reach, and perhaps a panic move after the Eagles leapfrogged Houston to select Andre Dillard, who was the superior prospect. A few months later, the Texans swung a trade for LT Laremy Tunsil, and Howard opened his rookie season as the starting RT.
A torn meniscus ended Howard’s rookie campaign after just eight games, and last offseason was a difficult one for him, as he was recovering from the meniscus surgery along with a procedure to repair a broken finger. The lack of practices due to the pandemic also hurt; although he was entering his second season as a pro, he is an FCS (Alabama State) product who was always going to need a little extra time to reach his potential at the NFL level.
He still wound up starting 14 games at RT in 2020, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ 61st-best tackle out of 79 qualifiers. Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 attributes that less-than-impressive ranking to a slow start engendered by the offseason problems and the fact that Howard had to consistently bail out former right guard Zach Fulton, who yielded 11 sacks last year. Nonetheless, the team is now moving Howard to the interior and will line him up at left guard, per Wilson.
Howard played one game at LG in 2019, and the team tried him out at several different positions during training camp this year. But he was deployed at left guard during last week’s preseason game against the Cowboys, and that’s where he will open the 2021 season. He has the size, strength, and mean streak to thrive on the inside, and being sandwiched between Tunsil on the left and new center Justin Britt on the right will certainly help.
2020 fourth-rounder Charlie Heck is expected to start the season at RT, but Howard is perfectly amenable to a move back to the outside. It sounds like Houston is keeping him on his toes in case that should be necessary.
“Oh, yeah, I think I can just go back out and [play RT] again,” Howard said. “I practice it every day, so they prepare me for something like that.”
Latest On Deshaun Watson Market
The Deshaun Watson market, as muddled as it may be, reclaimed its place atop the NFL news cycle Saturday. Texans GM Nick Caserio has discussed the Pro Bowl quarterback on more than one occasion with the Dolphins and Panthers, Armando Salguero of outkick.com reports.
Watson would prefer a trade to Miami but would not veto a deal that sends him to Charlotte, Salguero adds. The soon-to-be 26-year-old QB has a no-trade clause. The Panthers are not believed to be making a hard push for the Clemson product at this point, but they were monitoring him recently and showed considerable interest this offseason — before the sexual assault and misconduct allegations emerged.
As of now, however, the Dolphins are not meeting the first part of the Texans’ lofty asking price. Miami is not ready to part with three first-round picks for Watson, per Salguero, who adds no trade is imminent. The Texans are believed to want three first-rounders and two second-rounders for Watson, who requested a trade this past winter and has not factored into the team’s practices this summer. Houston is not expected to fetch such a haul for Watson, Adam Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com notes, if a deal is made soon.
Miami remains interested at the right price, and if that is the case, Houston may not be able to keep its lofty price tag where it presently is. The Panthers’ interest having dwindled, and the Broncos and Eagles potentially bowing out — as Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 reports, Watson will not waive his no-trade clause for Philly — may leave just one serious suitor. That would obviously benefit the Dolphins.
Additionally, the Texans are not believed to be interested in a deal that includes Tua Tagovailoa, per Salguero. That could change, but any deal for Watson not including Tagovailoa would leave the former No. 5 overall pick in a strange situation. The Dolphins were linked to Tagovailoa a year before they actually selected him, but Beasley notes the some concern about his development exists within the organization. Not everyone in the Dolphins’ organization is concerned about Tua, with the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson noting the team has been pleased with the second-year QB’s improvement. GM Chris Grier has committed to Tagovailoa as his 2021 starter on multiple occasions during the offseason.
Tagovailoa would have no path to a starting job on a team with Watson, assuming his legal trouble does not result in prison time. While Tagovailoa could serve as the Dolphins’ starter during a Watson suspension, the team would almost certainly need to unload the younger quarterback in a separate trade at some point.
It would certainly be strange for a team to acquire Watson at this point. Twenty-two women have filed civil suit against him, and at least 10 are involved in the Houston Police Department’s investigation. A grand jury is set to be empaneled soon, and the NFL is not planning to interview Watson until it has spoken with all 22 accusers. The Pro Bowl passer is not set to be deposed in the civil case until February 2022. While this would create a window for Watson to play this season, though a grand jury indictment would seemingly prompt the NFL to place him on the commissioner’s exempt list, a team that acquires the QB under these circumstances would face backlash.
Dolphins Frontrunners For Deshaun Watson?
Despite no clarity having emerged on the Deshaun Watson legal front, trade buzz has resurfaced. Long connected to a possible run at the Texans quarterback, the Dolphins may well have circled back to pursuing him.
The Dolphins are believed to be the favorites to acquire the embattled passer, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com reports (on Twitter). The Texans do appear to be negotiating, per Robinson, who adds the Broncos, Eagles and Panthers have expressed interest. However, the no-trade clause that allows Watson to block a deal to an undesirable destination has impacted the talks and moved Miami to the front (Twitter link).
Although Watson’s value has veered into a strange place, with the 22 civil suits and a Houston PD investigation clouding the Pro Bowler’s football career, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that a trade may well take place in the coming days. Watson no longer appears to be in the Texans’ plans. He is not atop their depth chart and has not practiced with the team in a notable capacity this year.
While the Panthers re-emerged as a player in these talks, they may not be as interested as the Dolphins. Carolina is not believed to be a serious Watson suitor at this point, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and The Athletic’s Joe Person (Twitter links). The Panthers were perhaps the most interested in Watson earlier this year, but the off-field issues changed the organization’s thinking on this front. Carolina is rolling with Sam Darnold for the time being, though the team almost certainly would have moved on Watson sooner if the legal issues did not crop up.
Were the Dolphins to pull the trigger on such a deal, they would certainly draw ire from a portion of their fanbase — due to the numerous allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that surfaced this year — and it would represent a massive organizational pivot. The team was linked to Tua Tagovailoa ahead of the 2019 draft, when it passed on that year’s crop of QBs, and used the No. 5 overall pick on 2020 on the Alabama product. Tagovailoa did not prove to be a quick study as a rookie, though he was coming off a severe hip injury. Punting on the young southpaw so early would surprise, but the Dolphins were believed to be interested in Watson prior to the off-field trouble surfacing earlier this year. Prior to the lawsuits, Miami had prepared a big offer.
A Watson trade would not necessarily end Tagovailoa’s time in Miami, per ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley, but it would seem the second-year passer would need to head elsewhere to continue his career if the more established QB is Florida-bound (Twitter link).
Compensation in a trade will obviously be a significant issue. The Texans have sought a package of three first-round picks and change, with second-rounders and/or proven players also believed to be desired by the rebuilding squad. It will be difficult to imagine a team giving up all that for Watson at this time, but thus far, the Texans have stood firm on their asking price — particularly in a deal involving an AFC team. The NFL refusing to place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list has put the Texans in a tough spot, but unloading Watson now would be selling low — in the event the team cannot pry three first-rounders and change in a deal.
Texans Shopping Shaq Lawson, Lonnie Johnson
Texans pass rusher Shaq Lawson and defensive back Lonnie Johnson are being “heavily discussed in league circles as trade candidates,” according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). Both players have started in the past, but neither is currently projected to be first-string for the Texans.
Lawson came to Houston earlier this year in the deal that sent inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami. He turned in a solid, if unspectacular, 2020 campaign with the Dolphins. Previous to that, Lawson recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks for the Bills in 2019. For his career, Sack-a-Shaq has 20.5 sacks across five pro seasons. For now, the Texans have him under club control for another two seasons, thanks to the three-year, $30MM he inked with the ‘Fins last spring.
The Texans selected Johnson, a Kentucky product, in the second round of the 2019 draft. He’s got all the physical tools one could want in a corner or a safety. At 6-2, 213 pounds, he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the Combine. He’s shown flashes of potential with the Texans over the last two years, but he hasn’t quite put it all together yet as a pro.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/25/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: CB Luq Barcoo
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Steven Sims
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Nate Hall
Chicago Bears
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Austin Calitro
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Rams): TE Kyle Markway
- Waived: DE Romeo McKnight
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: RB Rico Dowdle
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Damontae Kazee, G Connor Williams
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR Taywan Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Damontre Moore
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed (from Bears): OL Badara Traore
- Waived: OL Garrett McGhin
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Nate Evans
- Waived: DL Frederick Smith Jr.
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LS Steven Wirtel
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: OT Evin Ksiezarczyk
- Released from IR via injury settlement: K Riley Patterson
New England Patriots
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Marvin Hall
New York Giants
- Released from IR via injury settlement: QB Clayton Thorson
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from active/PUP list: S Jaquiski Tartt
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed (from Jaguars): OL Derwin Gray
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Harold Landry
Texans Worked Out LB Tahir Whitehead
Tahir Whitehead got a look from the Texans earlier this week. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Houston hosted the free agent linebacker. The veteran presumably left the team without a deal.
[RELATED: Texans To Sign CB Rasul Douglas]
The 2012 fifth-round pick had a productive stint with the Lions to begin his career. Whitehead spent six seasons in Detroit, and he averaged 70 tackles and 5.8 tackles for loss between the 2014 and 2017 seasons. That four-year stint earned Whitehead a three-year, $19MM deal from the Raiders, and the linebacker started all 32 games for the organization before getting his walking papers in 2020.
The 31-year-old caught on with the Panthers last offseason, and he started each of his first eight games for his new squad. However, Whitehead saw a reduced role as the season went on, and he only saw 15 defensive snaps from Week 11 to the end of the season. The linebacker finished his lone season in Carolina with 51 tackles and one interception.
The Texans were busy revamping their linebackers corps this offseason, bringing in eight free agents and one rookie. However, Zach Cunningham and (perhaps) free agent acquisition Christian Kirksey are the only sure things on the depth chart, meaning a free agent like Whitehead could still come in and claim a roster spot.
Texans To Sign CB Rasul Douglas
Rasul Douglas did not last long in free agency. The veteran cornerback agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Texans on Tuesday, Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
The Texans worked out Douglas earlier today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This continues a busy run for the rebuilding team at the corner spot. The Texans have made two trades involving corners in the past two days, acquiring Ka’dar Hollman from the Packers and dealing John Reid to the Seahawks.
Douglas could not stick with the Raiders, with the team releasing him in order to trim its roster down to 80 players, but has four years’ experience. He will join veterans Bradley Roby, Vernon Hargreaves, Desmond King and Terrance Mitchell in Houston, which has signed numerous midlevel veterans to short-term deals under new GM Nick Caserio.
This marked the second straight summer in which Douglas failed to make a 53-man roster, with the Eagles waiving him last year. The Panthers claimed him shortly after, and the former third-round pick started 11 games for the rebuilding squad. Douglas’ vested-veteran status allowed him to bypass waivers this time around, and he was working out barely 24 hours after being informed of his Raiders release.
Pro Football Focus was moderately impressed with Douglas’ 2020 work, slotting him just outside its top 60 at cornerback. Douglas played a special teams role during the 2017 Eagles’ run to their Super Bowl title and started in the ’18 Eagles’ two playoff contests. Overall, the soon-to-be 27-year-old defender has started 29 career games since the Eagles selected him out of West Virginia.
Seahawks To Acquire Texans CB John Reid
Rather than cutting John Reid, the Texans found an 11th-hour taker for the second-year cornerback. The Seahawks are acquiring Reid, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Texans had planned to merely waive the 2020 draftee ahead of the 3pm CT deadline for teams to trim their rosters to 80 players, but they will now obtain something in return.
Seattle will send Houston a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft. This marks the second straight day the Texans have made a trade involving both a cornerback and a seventh-round pick. Houston sent a 2022 seventh to Green Bay for Ka’Dar Hollman on Monday — a move that helped pave Reid’s way out of town.
The Penn State product, however, generated interest and will have a chance to stick with the Seahawks. Reid played in 13 Texans games last season and made 13 tackles. Houston used Reid on 145 defensive snaps during his rookie year. Reid checks in at just 5-foot-10, which is a bit shorter than the corners the Seahawks usually target. He did have a four-season role with the Nittany Lions, intercepting seven passes from 2015-19.
The Seahawks, who lost Shaquill Griffin in free agency, have made a few additions at this position this year. They signed Ahkello Witherspoon, brought back Damarious Randall — whom they are moving back to corner after his years-long run at safety — and drafted Tre Brown in Round 4.