Dolphins owner to block Deshaun Watson to Miami?
Over the last few months, the Miami Dolphins have remained heavily linked to Houston Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson as the desired landing spot.
The Dolphins have publicly shot down any desire to acquire the Pro Bowler, but it hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning out more dialog concerning interest.
Following reports that Miami could make a move to acquire Watson quite soon, NBC Sports’ Peter King has said that team owner Stephen Ross is not pushing the franchise to acquire the 26-year-old. The latest development comes less than two weeks before the November 2 trade deadline.
Watson remains sidelined in Houston as he continues to work through his legal matters, while the team doesn’t plan to play him this season. He is currently facing 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints alleging sexual assault or sexual misconduct during numerous massage sessions.
The NFL has kept tabs on the situation while Watson navigates through the legal system. Although the league hasn’t taken any action, it is believed that any trade would land him on the commissioner’s exempt list for an indefinite time frame.
What If....Deshaun Watson is traded at November 2nd NFL deadline from Houston to Miami..
Then plays for Miami that next game which is the Dolphins hosting the Texans!
I mean ...just What If? #DeshaunWatson
Dolphins' struggles have seen them in the middle of rumors surrounding Watson's trade
Through all of it, the Dolphins remain the most prominent name. The team’s struggles in the 2021 season have only created more gossip. The Dolphins entered the season backing second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as the future under center.
However, the Alabama product has struggled with consistency. He has missed three games this season due to injury. That alone has put question marks on his status as the future.
What has ramped up the dialogue is a recent report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport stating that the Texans are expected to move the star quarterback before the trade deadline. Houston want to maximize his value as teams around the league will have interest in Watson based on his talent alone despite the legal issues.
Salary that would be acquired when trading for Deshaun Watson:
Week 8 Trade: $6.441M
Week 9 Trade (Deadline Week): $5.855M
Available Cap Space:
#Eagles: $21.36M
#Broncos: $14.73M
#Panthers: $11.36M
#WashingtonFootball: $10.6M
#Steelers: $10M
#Dolphins: $2.37M
Watson hasn’t begun the four-year, $156 million extension that will start in the 2022 campaign and extends through the 2025 season. The deal holds only a $5.4 million dead cap hit for the 2024 campaign and no dead cap in 2025.
Teams such as the Carolina Panthers have emerged in the discussion due to their quarterback issues. Sam Darnold has significantly cooled off from his solid start. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has brushed back from that dialog, but the team could emerge as a legitimate landing spot.
Ultimately, it’s a situation that could see things quickly pick up in the coming days.