NFL Rumors: Commanders and Panthers remain interested in trading for Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson has been somewhat of an afterthought for many outside of Houston for the latter part of last season. The much-maligned quarterback of the Houston Texans is in the midst of an investigation over 22 allegations of sexual assault.
The star quarterback didn't play a single down last season. As such, this has been the equivalent of taking a year off, and he should be more than (physically) ready to go once he is with a new team.
During his last full season of action in 2020, Watson threw for 4,823 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The 2020 passing yards leader is also a threat with his legs and has a knack for getting out of trouble when pressured by opposing defenses.
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio recently spoke on the status of his star quarterback and stated that it's currently a day-to-day situation:
"I would say (with) that situation... We've talked about this with our group. We're day-to-day in terms of handling that. Once the information becomes more relevant or prevalent, we'll handle it accordingly. My philosophy from the beginning has always been to do the right thing with the Houston Texans organization and we're going to continue to do that here moving forward."
Texans’ GM Nick Caserio on Deshaun Watson’s status with Houston: https://t.co/xeaJLKclip
With the new league year fast approaching on March 16, which teams are interested in acquiring the services of Deshaun Watson?
NFL Rumors: Deshaun Watson is coveted by the Washington Commanders and the Carolina Panthers
According to an article by Pro Football Network, Deshaun Watson is a wanted man. The Washington Commanders and the Carolina Panthers are reportedly interested in acquiring the former first-round draft pick.
There were rumors early in the offseason for the Texans that the Miami Dolphins may have been interested, but those reports were shot down by NFL insiders beginning in January.
With Brian Flores out in Miami, the chances of the Dolphins pursuing or acquiring Texans’ QB Deshaun Watson are greatly diminished, if not gone, per sources. Flores had an interest in exploring a Watson deal, but others in organization, including owner Steven Ross, did not.
Washington has been searching for a franchise quarterback for quite some time now. Last season, quarterback Taylor Heinicke took over for veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1 due to injury.
Heinicke was not the answer at the position despite signs of potential from the signal-caller out of Old Dominion.
The Carolina Panthers began the 2021-2022 season with promise as Sam Darnold arrived from the New York Jets to take the reins at quarterback. The results were underwhelming, and the team signed their former franchise quarterback and 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton.
The results were much the same, and Matt Rhule is desperate to win, entering his third season as the head coach of the Panthers. Everyone knows that it all starts with the quarterback position.
Both teams have the offensive weapons needed to succeed, with names such as Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel for the Commanders and D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and Christian McCaffrey for the Panthers.
With the skills of a quarterback such as Deshaun Watson, the organizations indeed believe that his potential arrival is enough to place their respective teams back in contention for the division title and more.
Deshaun Watson has already proved that he can do more with less, as he did with the Texans in 2020. Who's to say it can't be done again for the Commanders or the Panthers?