Deshaun Watson

Dolphins GM: Door Shut On Deshaun Watson

March 2nd, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The runaway leaders in last year’s Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, the Dolphins have officially bowed out. GM Chris Grier confirmed Wednesday the “door is shut” on a trade for the Texans’ star quarterback, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe tweets.

Grier endorsed Tua Tagovailoa‘s progress ahead of his third season, following new HC Mike McDaniel in that regard. With the Dolphins being the only team for which Watson waived his no-trade clause, this opens up the playing field. Watson, of course, remains embroiled in the off-field scandals that have thrown his career off course. The timetable for resolutions in Watson’s civil and criminal cases remains murky, with a lengthy NFL suspension perhaps looming.

Buzz about the Dolphins acquiring Watson amid his off-field trouble intensified ahead of the 2021 trade deadline, when they were the only team left standing. Watson did not waive his no-trade clause for the Eagles or Panthers at that point. Stephen Ross was believed to have pushed Grier and Co. for weeks to finalize a Watson deal, but the Dolphins wanted conditions attached to the draft picks exchanged in the swap. No deal came to pass, and it has now been more than a year since Watson’s trade request surfaced.

Watson was reported to be interested in the Buccaneers and Vikings as destinations, and the Panthers — who showed considerable interest before the accusations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault emerged — still loom for the ex-Clemson superstar.

The Dolphins targeted Tagovailoa for over a year and were in position to land him due to the hip injury sustained late in the southpaw’s Alabama career. Of course, the Dolphins tried to pivot to Joe Burrow, offering the Bengals three first-rounders to move up in 2020, but were rebuffed. This QB pursuit has emerged in Flores’ lawsuit, which accused Ross of offering six-figure payments for 2019 losses.

The team will aim to move past these major headlines and build around Tagovailoa, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency as a pro. The Dolphins, however, saw receiver unavailability and a bottom-tier offensive line hinder Tua’s development last season. The Watson pursuit almost certainly affected the passer as well. It seems the Dolphins will try to give their starter a legitimate chance to succeed next season.

Latest On Texans, Deshaun Watson

February 25th, 2022 at 6:44pm CST by Zachary Links

A Deshaun Watson deal might not be too far off. Multiple teams are willing to trade for the embattled quarterback before his civil suits are settled, according to a source who spoke with PFT.

Still, these clubs have indicated that they won’t trade for Watson until his “criminal situation” is resolved. The Houston Police Department has not charged Watson with any crimes, though they haven’t ruled out the possibility either.

The Dolphins likely would have traded for Watson last year if his civil suits were put to rest. For what it’s worth, the Panthers were reportedly willing to deal for Watson, though the QB declined to drop his no-trade clause for them. This week, we learned that the Panthers are still interested, but it’s not clear if Watson’s stance has softened.

The Eagles could also get involved in the coming weeks. Philly GM Howie Roseman — who is never bashful about swinging a big trade — has done extensive homework on Watson. He’s also armed with plenty of trade chips, including three first-round picks in this year’s draft.

Meanwhile, Watson is also open to joining the Buccaneers and Vikings. In Tampa, Watson would be a compelling replacement for Tom Brady — at least, from a talent perspective. In Minnesota, the fit isn’t quite as clear given the presence and contract of Kirk Cousins. As it stands, Cousins has one year to go on his deal with $35MM in base pay with an even larger $45MM cap hit.

Panthers Still Interested In Deshaun Watson; Eagles Did Extensive Work On QB

February 23rd, 2022 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

A still-muddled legal situation has left Deshaun Watson‘s NFL career in limbo, but the quarterback continues to generate interest. While the Dolphins have moved out of the picture, the other team closely connected to the three-time Pro Bowler remains interested.

The Panthers still have Watson on their radar, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. The Panthers were prepared to make a major push for Watson last year, and after initially backing off after the off-field trouble surfaced, they were believed to have made the Texans an offer. Carolina re-emerging as a serious suitor could be a significant offseason development, though any trade talk obviously takes a backseat to the lawsuits ensnaring Watson.

Carolina’s quarterback situation moved Matt Rhule to the edge of a hot seat last year, and the team has not had stability at the position since Cam Newton‘s injuries began to pile up. The Panthers still have Sam Darnold‘s fully guaranteed $18.8MM salary on their payroll, but for a player like Watson, the QB-desperate team likely would not view that as a hindrance.

Watson holds a no-trade clause, and he is not believed to have waived it for anyone but the Dolphins last year. Still, his past at Clemson and the now-Mike McDaniel-led Dolphins exiting the pursuit — despite Stephen Ross‘ extensive interest prior to the 2021 trade deadline — certainly makes the Panthers a team to watch here.

Watson refusing to waive his no-trade clause for the Eagles did not stop them from doing plenty of work on the embattled QB. GM Howie Roseman “intensely” researched Watson’s situation, and the Eagles sent an investigator to Houston last year to gather more intel on this complex off-field matter, Wilson adds. With both Roseman and Jeffery Lurie being on this at various points, the door should not be viewed as closed on the Eagles’ end. They have three first-round picks in the 2022 draft — all in the teens — and could present the Texans with a compelling offer. Houston has sought a five- to seven-asset package for Watson, and want three first-rounders included in a proposal.

As for Watson’s criminal and civil cases, the holding pattern remains. Some of Watson’s accusers in the civil suit have yet to be deposed, and Wilson notes a judge ruled this week such depositions can be pushed back until at least April 1. Six of the 22 women accusing Watson of sexual assault or sexual misconduct have yet to be deposed. Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, still expects a resolution on Watson’s criminal case, which has seen 10 women come forward with complaints. The Houston Police Department has not yet charged Watson with a crime.

These investigations moving into April would put the teams still interested to decisions at quarterback, with the new league year opening March 16. With quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins‘ true availabilities unknown as of late February, Watson being dropped into the trade mix late would add another complexity to this equation. A potential NFL suspension clouds this process as well.

Deshaun Watson Open To Buccaneers, Vikings As Trade Destinations?

February 16th, 2022 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Deshaun Watson has not played since Week 17 of the 2020 season and is entangled in multiple investigations related to alleged sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct. But the Texans quarterback has received three Pro Bowl nods and is just 26. This type of quarterback is rarely available, which will lead to buzz about his destination for a second straight offseason.

The Watson-Dolphins rumblings have quieted, with new Miami HC Mike McDaniel endorsing Tua Tagovailoa as his starter. The Dolphins were believed to be the only team for which Watson waived his no-trade clause last year, but he is now considering other teams. The Buccaneers and Vikings have emerged on the young passer’s radar, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (ESPN+ link). After holding off on trade talks during most of the 2021 offseason, the Texans are prepared to move on.

At this juncture, Tampa Bay would make more sense as a destination. Tom Brady (for now) is retired, and the team has done work on Watson since its glaring quarterback need surfaced. Minnesota still has Kirk Cousins, but the team’s four-year starter is going into a contract year and has been mentioned in trades — albeit ones that would require the Vikings to eat some of their QB1’s salary. Watson is not interested in waiving his no-trade clause for a bad situation, with Fowler identifying a winning setup as the top item on the embattled QB’s checklist.

The Vikings have Cousins tied to a $35MM base salary in 2022 and a whopping $45MM cap number. Watson is also tethered to a $35MM base, and his 2020 extension calls for a $40.4MM cap number. The Vikings would be saddled with only $10MM in dead money by trading Cousins, but convincing another team to part with reasonable draft capital to take on the soon-to-be 34-year-old passer’s full base salary is probably unrealistic. It would be interesting to see Watson commit to a team that just hired a new coach and GM, but the Vikings do have Pro Bowl wideout Justin Jefferson as a top selling point.

Tampa Bay’s path is more complicated. The Bucs are holding out hope Brady reconsiders his retirement and returns for his age-45 season. But if the 22-year veteran drags out that process into the new league year, the Bucs may be forced to move on. Nearly half of the Bucs’ starting lineup is due for free agency, and without those players’ salaries on the books, the team currently holds barely $3MM in cap space. It will obviously take work for the Bucs to accommodate Watson’s salary, but the team completed a complex financial juggling act to retain its Super Bowl core last year.

Texans HC Lovie Smith’s Views On QBs Watson, Mills

February 15th, 2022 at 12:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans have a new head coach in Lovie Smith, but they appear to be maintaining the status quo when it comes to their quarterback situation. He detailed the desire to handle the Deshaun Watson situation, and also voiced support of 2021 rookie Davis Mills in a conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Smith expressed optimism that a resolution will be coming somewhat soon with Watson. It is already well known that the team intends to trade him before the start of the new league year in March; Smith concurs that dealing him elsewhere would be the best outcome.

When asked about how quickly he wants the matter resolved, Smith answered, “As soon as possible… We’re patient, we’ve waited an entire year and I just feel like this offseason, it’ll come to an end and we’ll get it solved and it’ll be good for both parties, whatever that might be… We have a little bit of time, and we’ll get it done”.

Watson, 26, still has 22 sexual misconduct lawsuits that have yet to be resolved; between that, and his trade request, he sat out the 2021 season. Breer adds that if the three-time Pro Bowler is able to be dealt, there could be “a treasure trove of picks coming Houston’s way”.

With regards to Mills, Smith praised the third-rounder for his performance in 2021. “Of all those guys we played against, Davis played as well as any of those rookie quarterbacks”, he said. “I like his demeanor, how smart he is, and I like that he and [newly-promoted offensive coordinator] Pep Hamilton have been together for a year already. Those things should help us”. Mills ranked second amongst rookie signal callers in QBR, despite playing on the AFC’s second-worst team.

While Smith made it clear Mills isn’t assured to be the 2022 starter, he is certainly a supporter of his. Assuming the Watson swap does get done soon, Smith will be well positioned to move forward with, quite possibly, some much-needed continuity at the head coach and QB positions for at least the immediate future.

Tom Brady Has Not Ruled Out Playing In 2022; Bucs Interested In Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson

February 13th, 2022 at 8:23am CST by Rory Parks

You didn’t really think that there wouldn’t be any Tom Brady “un-retirement” stories, did you? Less than two weeks after the legendary passer confirmed he would be hanging up the cleats, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report that the Buccaneers are leaving the door open to a Brady return, and that Brady himself is not ruling out the possibility.

Brady, 44, when discussing the prospect of playing in 2022 on his own podcast six days ago, said, “[y]ou never say never. At the same time I know that I’m very, I feel very good about my decision. I don’t know how I’ll feel six months from now” (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

It’s understandable that any retired player, let alone a player who has enjoyed the type of career that Brady has, would start to feel the itch to return to the field as summer draws to a close and the nation starts to turn its attention to Week 1 of the NFL season. Even assuming Brady gets that itch, however, Pelissero and Rapoport hear from sources close to the seven-time Super Bowl champion that chances of a return are “remote.” Still, the Bucs are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him back for his age-45 season, and they have made that clear to him.

Florio, in the same piece linked above, speculates that Brady’s retirement announcement could be his way of engineering a graceful exit from Tampa. After all, although the team was able to retain all of its starters from its Super Bowl LV run, tough decisions were always going to have to be made in 2022. As we recently pointed out, nearly half of the Bucs’ starting lineup in 2021 is eligible for free agency in March, and even without that contingent on the payroll, the club is projected to be barely $5MM under the cap. It could be that Brady realizes his chances of playing through his age-45 campaign — as he had long indicated he planned to do — and still going out on top with an eighth Super Bowl ring would be better elsewhere.

Indeed, no matter how badly the Bucs may want him back, they are going to have to turn their attention to other options at some point. Pelissero and Rapoport write that Tampa Bay is doing “extensive homework” on embattled Texans QB Deshaun Watson and are expected to explore a trade for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. The team has also been connected to 49ers signal-caller (and former Brady protégé) Jimmy Garoppolo. If/when the Bucs make a move to replace Brady with a starting-caliber passer, it will obviously be impractical for them to keep Brady rostered.

At present, the Bucs have not made a roster move with respect to Brady and are projected to carry a $32MM dead money charge for him in 2022 if they move him off the roster. If they designate him a post-June 1 release, they could push $24MM of that total to 2023, and if they place him on the reserve/retired list after June 1, they would be able to accomplish the same thing while still retaining his 2022 rights should he decide he wants to keep playing but for another team. Or, as Florio adds in a separate piece, the team could just keep him on the roster all year, which would result in a $10.545MM cap charge — just $2.545MM more than what the post-June 1 2022 dead money charge would be — and which would allow him to return to the team at any time should he so choose. Presumably, that option would only be in play if Tampa Bay does not replace Brady with a high-level starter.

Interestingly, Florio posits that if Brady does want to play for another club in 2022, that club would be his hometown Niners. Brady reportedly wanted to play for San Francisco before signing with the Bucs two years ago, and with the 49ers boasting a roster that came up just shy of a Super Bowl appearance this year, it stands to reason that HC Kyle Shanahan would be willing to delay the Trey Lance era for one more season if it means giving Brady a chance to get that roster to the promised land. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times agrees that Brady’s preferred destination, should all of this speculation coalesce into something more concrete, would be San Francisco (Twitter link).

Giants Owner: We Won’t Trade For Deshaun Watson

January 26th, 2022 at 1:06pm CST by Zachary Links

There will be plenty of new faces in the Giants’ locker room this year, but Deshaun Watson will not be among them. On Wednesday, owner John Mara told reporters that the Giants will not be trading for embattled Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).

Mara cited the allegations against Watson and the Giants’ cap situation as reasons for staying out of the sweepstakes. But, beyond that, he says he is all in with Daniel Jones at QB.

“We do feel Daniel can play,” Mara said. “[And] we’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up.”

With new GM Joe Schoen at the helm, the Giants believe that they’ll be able to get Jones back on track. At his introductory press conference, Schoen said that he will be focused on upgrading the offensive line to better protect the QB and running back Saquon Barkley (Twitter link). Of course, that’s just the start, and Schoen will also have to weigh Barkley’s future beyond 2022 — the talented tailback has just one year let on his rookie deal.

And, before all of that, Schoen and Mara will have to hire a new head coach. Mara says he hopes to make it happen next week (Twitter link), though he won’t rush the process either.

As for Watson, the 26-year-old is “more than likely” done with the Texans, according to recent comments from GM Nick Caserio.

Nick Caserio: Deshaun Watson Likely Done With Texans

January 18th, 2022 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans may well have Brian Flores positioned as the favorite to succeed David Culley, and some buzz about Deshaun Watson‘s interest in playing for Flores reopened the door to the Pro Bowl quarterback suiting up for the Texans again.

Nick Caserio did his best to shoot that down Tuesday. The second-year Texans GM said, during an appearance on SportsRadio 610 (via the Houston Chronicle), Watson playing for Houston again “more than likely” will not happen.

Watson made a trade request nearly a year ago, after reports indicated the Texans did not include the quarterback in their GM and head coach searches. While the Texans resisted trade overtures for a while, they did engage in talks ahead of the deadline. Watson remains a Texan, but that is unlikely to be the case for too much longer.

Not much has transpired with Watson’s criminal investigation and civil suits in connection with the 22 women who have accused him of sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct. That still puts the 26-year-old passer’s future in question. A suspension remains expected. The uncertainty regarding Watson’s availability has clouded his trade market for several months, though it figures to heat up again soon. Watson’s deposition in the civil case is set for next month.

Despite Stephen Ross being the power broker most closely connected to Watson interest ahead of last year’s deadline, the Dolphins have attempted to distance themselves from the embattled quarterback post-Flores. They are believed to be committed to Tua Tagovailoa for next season. Flores and Watson have been connected to teaming up with the Giants, but many changes would need to ensue to make that a realistic possibility.

Watson was not believed to have waived his no-trade clause for anyone but the Dolphins, but now that the landscape has shifted, it will be interesting to see if he would open the door to more destinations. The Panthers certainly come to mind as a prospective suitor, given their interest (before the off-field turmoil) last year. The Eagles were on the radar at the deadline as well.

The Texans saw Davis Mills show improvement down the stretch. The third-round pick ended his season ranking behind only Mac Jones in QBR among rookies. The rebuilding Texans will likely give Mills more time.

Brian Flores, Deshaun Watson Looking To Team Up; NYG A Potential Destination?

January 17th, 2022 at 10:19am CST by Adam La Rose

More news is coming out regarding one of the worst-kept secrets in the NFL. Quarterback Deshaun Watson and top head coaching candidate Brian Flores are looking to team up with each other in 2022, as first reported by insider Jordan Schultz (via Twitter).

That has since been confirmed by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, who further details how the Giants may be a key suitor for the pair. He notes that “Flores wants his next shot at being a head coach to be with a stud quarterback”, something that would be a stark contrast to the inconsistent play of Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. While the Giants already have Daniel Jones at the top of their depth chart, he will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2022, and will carry a manageable – and partially tradeable – cap hit of $8.3MM.

Dunleavy adds that “most of the first seven candidates interviewed to be Giants general manager have Flores on their short list” and that the Brooklyn native “has his eye on the Giants, too”. It is worth remembering, on the other hand, that Flores is a member of the same Bill Belichick coaching tree as the recently-dismissed Joe Judge, something that may discourage the hiring of another ‘disciplinarian’ mold of head coach. Furthermore, it is “unclear” that New York would be willing to bring in Watson, given the unresolved legal challenges he is still facing. Dunleavy notes the “misguided” handling of a domestic violence arrest of kicker Josh Brown in 2016 as reason for pause.

Ultimately, then, “the easiest destination for a Watson-Flores pairing seems to be Houston”, one of the teams that has already interviewed Flores for their HC vacancy. Of course, Watson staying with the Texans would require him to repeal the trade request he made prior to the sexual misconduct allegations that kept him out of the lineup all season. As of now, the team still intends to trade the 26-year-old before the new league year begins in March. That may add some urgency to the Giants’ GM search, as they will not begin interviewing coaching candidates until that process is complete, meaning the Flores and Watson situations may already be resolved one way or another before the Giants have filled their vacancies.

In any event, it appears the ultimate destination for one of the league’s best quarterbacks and a top head coaching candidate will be determined in the near future.

Coaching Searches Starting To Come Into Focus

January 15th, 2022 at 11:02pm CST by Ely Allen

As the playoffs begin, some teams are narrowing in on their preferred targets. Some teams don’t need to worry about the playoffs because their candidate isn’t participating, while others may just be waiting until their candidate’s season is over.

Jason La Canfora, of CBS Sports, reported that former Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores is considered the favorite to get the Texans’ open head coaching position. He suggests that firing David Culley may have been a reaction to Flores’s surprising availability. Both firings came as a shock to NFL media, so it’s not outrageous to assume that the Texans saw Flores get cut loose and decided to make a bold move of their own.

Flores and Texans’ general manager Nick Caserio worked together as scouts in the Patriots’ system. Flores won eight of his final nine games in Miami this year, showing a promising potential. Not to mention that Flores was a factor in Deshaun Watson waiving his no-trade clause for the Dolphins earlier this year, before that deal fell through. The Texans have other candidates, but Flores has interviewed with the Bears and will continue to be a target for other teams, so Houston will likely want to secure their target sooner, rather than later.

Tom Pelissero, of NFL Network, reported that Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is looking like the favorite to replace Vic Fangio in Denver. This situation is a little more fraught. The connections aren’t quite clear. Obviously Quinn’s resume speaks for itself as he made it to the Super Bowl with Atlanta and has helped develop an impressive, young Cowboys’ defense, but the Broncos just fired a defensive-minded coach in Fangio and it’s a bit surprising to see them double-down on that philosophy.

There’s also the issue that, unlike Flores, Quinn isn’t currently available. He hasn’t even interviewed with any teams. Even when he does, it seems those teams may be in competition with his current employer. La Canfora put out a report that Dallas holds Quinn in such high regard that they might be willing to move on from current head coach Mike McCarthy in order to secure Quinn as his successor.

There’s plenty of moves to be had and plenty of time for it all to play out. Be sure to follow all our updates on the 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

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