Report: ‘Nothing firm has materialized’ on Texans trading Deshaun Watson
Whispers and rumors have been circulating since last weekend that the Houston Texans could be close to trading disgruntled quarterback Deshaun Watson and may have even decreased their reported asking price of three first-round and three second-round draft picks for the 26-year-old who still faces 22 lawsuits alleging acts of sexual assault and misconduct and 10 criminal complaints.
CBS Sports HQ’s Josina Anderson offered an update on the situation on Thursday:
Per Anderson, the Texans want three first-round picks and three “additional assets,” which could be a combination of selections and/or players. Like Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Anderson linked the star signal-caller with the Miami Dolphins but added there have been “no substantive talks” between the sides as of training camp. She also explained there are “members in the Dolphins brass” ready to make the transaction but that team owner Steve Ross remains unconvinced because of Watson’s legal issues.
Anderson also seemed to close the door on the Denver Broncos and/or Carolina Panthers immediately pursuing Watson, both because those clubs are satisfied with their situations and because it’s unknown if Watson will ultimately be made ineligible to play via the commissioner’s exempt list or a suspension. The Philadelphia Eagles are another could-be suitor seemingly waiting to see if Watson gets banned or cleared of any wrongdoing.
In short: “Nothing ‘firm-firm’ has materialized,” according to Anderson, meaning Watson is set to remain a paid unused asset as the Nov. 2 trade deadline slowly approaches.
