Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson prefers to play for the New York Jets over the Miami Dolphins, per a recent report.
Disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson reportedly does have a wishlist. The New York Jets are his preferred destination, according to the Miami Herald‘s Armando Salguero.
According to the veteran columnist, Watson prefers the Jets with the Miami Dolphins coming in at No. 2. That is the pecking order of the moment. Or, it’s at least the information Salguero has published early Saturday afternoon. Never should offseason rumors be taken as gospel.
Watson, 25, has told people this past week that the Jets are his preferred destination because of Robert Saleh. He reportedly values Saleh to an incredible degree—one that would have him force his way to New York to play for a team that finished 2-14 the prior season.
The key here is that the report mentions both the Jets and the Dolphins. Salguero confirms reports that Watson would also be willing to play for the Fins. If interested, what Joe Douglas doesn’t want is a bidding war.
In many respects, the Jets hold the advantage over the Dolphins—other than the idea that Miami is at least a year ahead of New York in the team-building process. But it would be mighty costly to trade for the stud quarterback.
Conventional wisdom has the Watson trade package starting at three first-round picks. The package only increases if a bidding war commences.
Douglas’s perfect scenario features Watson taking a hard-line stance, one in which playing for the Jets is the only acceptable outcome. Then, and only then, can Watson’s no-trade clause be used for Douglas and the Jets to work on a bargain—or at least acquiring the quarterback on a bit of a discount.
The Watson-to-New York rumors have run rampant for over a week. His business team has liked several Watson-to-the-Jets social media content, former Saleh cornerback Richard Sherman has publicly told the man to get to the Jets, and the reports that Watson wanted Houston to interview Saleh create headlines few can resist.
Even Watson himself liked an Instagram post featuring a New York Post back page photo featuring a Brian Costello article.
Deshaun Watson threw for 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 16 games for the Texans this past season.
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Ill wait and see approach