For weeks it has been widely assumed that the legal issues surrounding Deshaun Watson had pretty much dried up any interest teams had in trading for the star quarterback at the moment.
Facing more than 20 civil suits for sexual misconduct, as well as a police and NFL investigation, Watson’s immediate future is now in question. Why would any team want to give up what it might take to get the star quarterback out of Houston?
However, there is one team that keeps being linked to Watson and that is the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles do currently have Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco on their roster, reports suggest they are very much still interested in upgrading the position.
Below is a timeline of every report linking Watson to the Eagles.
March 17 (CBS Sports) — “Do not discount the Philadelphia Eagles as a strong suitor for Deshaun Watson. Too many sources with ties to ownership have whispered that sentiment my way for me to ignore.”
March 19 (Inquirer) — “Howie will give up everything he has for Watson,” an NFL source familiar with the Eagles’ thinking said.
March 22 (Houston Chronicle) — The Eagles are among teams that remain interested in Watson despite uncertainty moving forward.
April 6 (Houston Chronicle) — “Several NFL teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, are monitoring the latest Watson legal developments, which have complicated any efforts to trade for him.
April 9 (Pro Football Talk) — “Much has to happen before Deshaun Watson could be traded, especially if he’s going to be traded at or around the 2021 draft. If, somehow, Watson manages to properly and appropriately settle the 22 civil lawsuits pending against him before the draft, there’s one team to watch closely as a potential destination. The Eagles. Yes, the Eagles. They have Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco, but Deshaun Watson has proven that he’s a franchise quarterback, and one of the best players in the NFL. As one league source explains it, the Eagles are sufficiently determined to upgrade the team that they would pursue Watson, if the window opens for doing so.”
The most recent report comes this week from Mike Fisher for Texans Daily:
“The Philadelphia Eagles are trying to find a direction. So are the Houston Texans. And according to an NFL source, despite their various issues, the two teams could still get together on a Deshaun Watson trade. […] Meanwhile, the Eagles are trying to straighten themselves out as well, having traded away Carson Wentz with a tentative plan to hand their QB job to young Jalen Hurts – except that our source insists that Philadelphia’s desire to secure Watson remains in place. […] It has been speculated that a Watson trade may be months away. It’s even been speculated that a swap is “impossible.’’ We’re not sure that is so. Some level of clarity could come before that. Some level of risk-taking by a bidder could as well. But this we know: The Philadelphia Eagles’ interest in trading for Deshaun Watson remains in play.“
Watson’s current legal situation doesn’t appear to be a deterrent for the Eagles. Usually when there is smoke, there is some fire, and there is a lot of smoke here.
While that doesn’t mean a deal is imminent or that one will even get done, it does suggest that Philadelphia is at least willing to take the risk of trading for the former Clemson star.
