What an interesting time for quarterbacks in the NFL. The last month:
Jan. 20: Philip Rivers retires, opening the Indianapolis quarterback position—again.
Jan. 30: Rams trade Jared Goff and three picks to Detroit for Matthew Stafford.
Feb. 7: Tom Brady wins his seventh Super Bowl.
Feb. 12: Quarterback and presumptive first overall pick Trevor Lawrence throws for scouts at Clemson.
Feb. 17: Doubt cast on Ben Roethlisberger’s future in Pittsburgh.
Feb. 18: Eagles trade Carson Wentz to Indianapolis.
Sometime very soon: Drew Brees expected to retire from the Saints.
All the while: Texans telling people they’re not trading Deshaun Watson. Offers come in. They’re not engaging.
All the while: Four quarterbacks jostling to be picked in top eight of the April draft.
Every offseason has good storylines. But this year, from the time Adam Schefter put the over-under on starting quarterback changes in 2021 at 18 (and took the over), football antennae have been raised at the most important position in team sports. We’re likely to have a lull now, because the next major decision doesn’t have to be made for 66 days—the first night of the draft. That’s when we’ll know how good a card-player rookie Houston GM Nick Caserio is. Let’s start there, because now, all anyone really cares about is Deshaun Watson.
Over the weekend, two common themes emerged about Houston’s near future. One: The Texans have one untouchable player, Watson, as of now. Two: Houston is not only not interested in trading Watson but also not interested in listening to offers for him. At least two teams have given offers to Houston and gotten zero feedback. Like, no reaction, no “We’ll get back to you.” Nothing.
Surely rookie GM Nick Caserio is gathering said offers in a Stickie on his desktop, or in some encrypted Word file. He knows one day he might have to act on one of them. I’m told he’s categorically opposed to trading Watson, period—either in the next nine weeks before the draft (when he’d clearly get the best deal to start the Texans’ post-Watson lives) or ever. It’s easy to say that, of course, when the deadline is far away. It’s easy to say that too, when you know that trading a 25-year-old franchise quarterback is crazy, and when fresh in the memory of all Houston fans is the warm-and-fuzzy press conference just 24 weeks ago when a grateful and emotional Watson was so thrilled to sign a $156-million contract extension with the Texans.
No one knows who will fold, who will stay strong. Caserio and owner Cal McNair have never been in the eye of a storm like this one. Watson, the friendly and guileless great player, has never had to make a decision as weighty as sitting out an offseason and maybe a season.
I think Caserio is playing it right, at least for now. The message is out there: Houston’s not even listening to offers. Maybe they’re serious about sitting on Watson. But Caserio also has to be cognizant of asking 53 players he doesn’t know—perhaps prepping for the season in the same virtual and fairly impersonal world that 2020 was—to take the field in 2021 with the worst team in the league, perhaps quarterbacked by an A.J. McCarron type. The results would be disastrous and could rip the team asunder even worse than it is now. J.J. Watt’s already jumped ship. Who would be next? Who, I should say, of any value?
So if Watson continues to say he won’t play for the Texans, Caserio would be able to make his best deal in the days before the April 29 first round. Below are the best candidates, keeping in mind teams cannot trade draft picks beyond 2023 right now, and keeping in mind how draft-poor the Texans are. Houston has no first-round or second-round pick this year, and isn’t scheduled to pick till number 67 in round three.
• CAROLINA PANTHERS. I’d be surprised if the Panthers hadn’t made an offer by now, quite frankly. This…
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