The Deshaun Watson saga in Houston is starting to look like it could drag on for awhile.
The disgruntled former Clemson quarterback officially requested a trade several weeks back and the Texans have remained steadfast in the fact that they are not planning to trade Watson.
That hasn’t stopped the speculation, though. Despite the claims from Houston management that they have no plans on moving Watson, every analyst with television or radio time has given their opinion on where the quarterback should, or will, play next season.
The Jets and Dolphins have been two of the more popular choices, with the 49ers starting to gain some traction of late. However, on the Friday edition of the ESPN morning show First Take, Stephen A. Smith proposed a deal that would send Dak Prescott to Houston and Deshaun Watson to Dallas.
“[Texans] are about to lose Deshaun Watson, he don’t want to be there,” Smith said. “He don’t want to be there. Dak Prescott, being the ultimate professional, being the face of the franchise, willing to toe the company line, to go along and get along so long as you pay him his money, which Houston wouldn’t mind doing evidenced by how they paid Deshaun Watson. So if you’re Dak Prescott that might be something you’re willing to do, and I think if you’re the Houston Texans you should consider it.”
While many may disagree, Smith says the Texans would be getting a comparable quarterback in this hypothetical deal. He laid out some reasons to make his case.
- Total QBR – Prescott: 69.6, Watson: 69.7
- Pro Bowl selections – Prescott: 2, Watson: 3
- Age – Prescott: 27, Watson: 25
- Playoff wins – Prescott: 1, Watson: 1
Smith also touched on something else that might be the most important thing in this entire situation. While the Texans are insisting they are planning to hold onto their star quarterback, forcing Watson to play for an organization he has grown to loathe could be a major mistake in the grand scheme of things.
“You want to make sure that you get equitable compensation or something close to it for the services of Deshaun Watson, who’s determined not to be there,” Smith said. “Regardless of how much you’re flexing, you can’t make the brother want to be there any longer. If he don’t like the organization, if he doesn’t respect the organization, but you bring him back and insist on him playing for the organization, you are begging for trouble.”
