A Look Into the Possible Trade of Two NFL Superstars

Two months ago, Deshaun Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, officially announced his request for a trade from the Houston Texans. 

According to ESPN, Watson’s willingness to depart was because he felt left out of the team’s hiring decisions. 

The ordeal began when the Texans traded star receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2020-21 offseason. Subsequently, hiring former New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio as general manager was the last straw for Watson. 

Although Watson’s trade request hasn’t been officially approved, it would be unwise for the Texans to keep Watson at this point. However, multiple teams could make a trade for a franchise quarterback like Deshaun Watson. To determine the best and most likely teams Deshaun could go to, several factors must be understood. 

First, the cap (amount of money each team has to spend on players’ salaries) is vital to consider: the higher the cap, the greater the chance of acquiring high-value players. In this case, it would be Deshaun Watson. Second, the 2021 first-round draft pick rankings come into play — the higher the ranking, the better chance of drafting a player of the team’s primary choice. 

Based on the numbers, a possible destination for Watson is the New York Jets. The Jets have an estimated 65 million dollar cap space, allowing significant room for high-value players. Additionally, the Jets have the overall number two pick for the 2021 first-round draft pick. These key factors could end up landing Watson with the New York Jets. 

In addition to Deshaun Watson’s potential trade, some estimate that there is the slim possibility of Russell Wilson being traded from the Seattle Seahawks.  The former Super Bowl MVP didn’t officially announce his trade request but stated the only teams he would go to. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilson will go to the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, or the Chicago Bears if he were to be traded—which is unlikely. 

The Dallas Cowboys are out of the picture, as they have just signed Dak Prescott to a four-year, 160 million dollar contract. 

As a result, if Wilson were to be traded, he would most likely end up on the Saints or the Bears, as the Raiders are somewhat satisfied with their QB Derek Carr. 

Despite this, most sportswriters and analysts don’t believe Wilson will be departing from the Seattle Seahawks for the upcoming 2021-2022 NFL season.