Ex-Jets Scout: New York Should Trade For Deshaun Watson This Offseason

This former Jets scout believes New York should use the No. 4 overall pick in a deal to add Deshaun Watson, taking this team directly to contention rather than waiting for Zach Wilson to develop.

Will Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson be traded to the Cardinals, Raiders, Browns, Falcons, Steelers, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Commanders, or the Panthers? 

Those are nine possible landing spots for the legally-troubled Watson mentioned by FanSided this past week.

Or…

Could the 2020 NFL passing leader be traded to the New York Jets in exchange for their fourth overall pick in the first round of this year's draft? 

One thing is for sure, with three young guns in the AFC East (Josh Allen, Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa), if the Jets do not dramatically improve at the quarterback position, the team will not be seeing the playoffs anytime soon. 

Not only that, but there is a strong possibility another dismal season has the potential of getting the current management and coaching regime fired the next time Black Monday rolls around. This is the NFL and with Cincinnati going from worst to the Super Bowl in two seasons, endless talk of a “rebuild” has less and less merit. 

New York is the largest market in the United States. The Jets need to find a way to win, and Watson is exactly the type of player who could come in and make the Jets contenders. 

As an evaluator, I feel Watson is the most dynamic talent in the game. 

READ: Ex-Jets Scout Warns Jets Not to Trade For Calvin Ridley

Granted, off-field legal issues continue swirling around the superstar talent, but several news sources indicate there may be an end in sight, at least on the criminal grand jury side of the investigation. The civil side of the case could however, take more time, according to reports. 

Houston had been asking for a king’s ransom for Watson. Their previous demands included three-first round picks. However, with the civil side of this case potentially dragging on, it is conceivable the Texans could be tempted to soften their stance and the number four pick overall at the end of April could suddenly look pretty darn good. Houston sounds motivated to move on and this is possible, especially if the case runs until draft day. 

It would undoubtedly be a gamble at that point, but Watson has the type of elite ability that is worth the risk. It would also be a calculated move that would weigh in the Jets’ favor. This is especially true given that no other prospect in the first round of this draft has the level of star power that Watson has. 

Would the Jets be willing to move on from Zach Wilson this quickly or put him on the back burner at the very least? 

BetOnline seems to think it is possible. They recently put 12-1 odds on Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers going to the Jets. Those are fairly high odds. Perhaps they have information the rest of the world does not. 

As the old saying goes, “Where there is smoke, there is fire.”

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There is also past precedence of teams moving on quickly from first-round quarterbacks who do not pan out fast enough. QB’s taken since 2016 such as Dwayne Haskins (WSH), Josh Rosen (AZ), DeShone Kizer (CLV) and Paxton Lynch (DEN) have proven that. 

With the struggles and inconsistencies Wilson demonstrated in 2021, it is conceivable the Jets could make a move. 

In the words of the man who’s staff I was on at the Jets, Bill Parcells, “You are what your record says you are.” 

4-13 is not too good. 

Adding spice to this storyline is the fact that before the legal situation came to light, Watson indicated he wanted to be traded to the Jets. 

"Watson this week told people the Jets are his top preference among the teams he’d like to be traded to because they hired Robert Saleh to be their coach and Watson values Saleh so much he wanted the Texans to interview him for their vacant head coach job," wrote Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald in January of last year. 

Wilson getting drafted No. 2 in the 2021 NFL Draft put that to bed. However, his erratic rookie season (ranked No. 30 overall in QB rankings) may very well put it back into play. 

One thing is for sure, Jets’ brass is going to have to determine soon how strong their convictions really are about Wilson. They are going to have to decide if they are willing to bet their jobs on him this season or if they are going to call an audible and go and get the most talented and gifted quarterbacks out there. 

MORE:

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• Could the Jets Trade Mekhi Becton This Offseason?
• Should the Jets Draft Penn State Pass Rusher Arnold Ebiketie?

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