There are teams who are quarterback-starved such as the Washington Commanders are looking to make a splash to find a long-term suitable signal caller. There are some big names that were once thought to be available in the trade market.
However, the Commanders are not on Aaron Rodgers’ radar. The Seattle Seahawks have reportedly turned down multiple first-round draft picks for Russell Wilson. The next man on the pecking order is the embattled Deshaun Watson.
It’s no secret the Houston Texans are trying to resolve the Watson saga, and move on from the former franchise quarterback. Of all the big names, Watson appears to be the most likely to be traded this offseason.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Commanders remain interested in Watson despite the high asking price of the Texans. But, Washington isn’t alone. The Carolina Panthers also have their sights set on Watson, according to Wilson.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has done his homework, going as far as sending an investigator to Houston to look into Waston’s legal issues and contacting his attorney.
Watson is still facing 22 civil counts of sexual misconduct and sexual assault in the Houston area. He’s also awaiting a decision by the Harris County district attorney on whether he will be criminally charged.
Each interested team prefers Watson to have a resolution on the civil cases and nothing criminal is brought up.
For Washington, it’s been no secret they’re in the market for a quarterback. They’ve reportedly contacted every NFL team on the availability of a quarterback. Their search list consists of 42 quarterbacks.
Washington also is in prime position to draft a quarterback with the 11th overall pick in April’s draft. However, head coach Ron Rivera prefers a viable veteran quarterback to start next season.
The Panthers have also been active. Reports have surfaced about their interests in a number of quarterbacks, including former Washington starter Kirk Cousins.
The Eagles are publicly behind Jalen Hurts as their starting QB. But, it’s evident that Watson is an option they’d be willing to upgrade from Hurts.
Watson isn’t the end-all for Washington or other teams. Aside from Watson’s legal issues, there is the price it will cost to acquire Watson. The Texans’ asking price is steep and Houston GM Nick Caserio isn’t backing down from it.
If the Commanders miss out on the big ticket quarterback, it won’t be for a lack of trying and exploring everything possible.
