SF 49ers must bite if Deshaun Watson wants out from Texans

If Deshaun Watson requests a trade from the Texans, as rumors are beginning to suggest he might, the SF 49ers must pick up the phone immediately.

The SF 49ers should be monitoring this situation closely.

On Thursday, Pro Football Talk led all of sports twitter into a fury by dropping a true bombshell of a rumor.

That’s right, reports have come out Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson may request a trade from the team. Naturally, speculation over teams that might be interested has been rampant ever since, and the Niners are a constant amid the speculation.

Even the Honey Badger, Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, thinks San Francisco should make a move for Watson:

Mathieu is correct. If Watson truly is on the market, it would be idiotic of the SF 49ers not to try their best to bring him in.

There are many aspects of these rumors to address. First is the basic concept of Watson requesting a trade. Unlike in the NBA, superstars requesting a trade and teams granting their requests is not typical in the NFL.

So even if Watson does demand a trade, the Texans may refuse to grant his request. What Watson will do if this happens is anyone’s guess, although the likelihood is he’d continue to play in Houston.

Something like this has rarely happened in the NFL, and if the Texans truly do put Watson on the market, it would be nearly unprecedented for a franchise quarterback of his caliber to be on the trade block. And there is no doubt Watson is a franchise quarterback.

Even while playing for an incompetent franchise like the Texans, Watson has absolutely lit up the league in his four NFL seasons. In 2020, a season in which the Texans fired their head coach and only won four games, Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823). While his team was in shambles, Watson absolutely dominated, leading teammate J.J. Watt to tell Watson the team “wasted one of [his] years.”

The thought of Watson playing for a competent coach and franchise is enough to get any NFL fan salivating.

Obviously, a huge barrier in the mind of SF 49ers’ fans is current quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Perhaps no quarterback in the NFL has their team’s fanbase as divided as Garoppolo. Rumors have been roaring left and right, and while the Niners’ brass has stated they “expect” Garoppolo to remain the team’s starter, many have suggested, behind the scenes, the team is willing to make a move if there is a better option.

Many potential names have been suggested, from a head coach Kyle Shanahan reunion with the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan to bringing in the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford, a move I myself argued for. These would be good moves. However, one can also understand sticking with Garoppolo instead of a veteran like those names.

But, Watson is of a different caliber. There would be no excuse for the Niners not trying to trade for Watson if he is available.

Deshaun Watson would bring SF 49ers offense to another level

Despite what his detractors say, Garoppolo has played well for the SF 49ers. He led them to a Super Bowl. He may have missed the one throw that could have won it for the team, he may have had a dominant run game, but the fact remains that he led the team to a Super Bowl.

Garoppolo is a good quarterback and can win in Shanahan’s offense. Watson, however, is an elite quarterback who can create offense. He is a dual-threat and can make any pass on the field. He is the model of the modern NFL quarterback, surpassed by only the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes in his ability to create plays out of nothing.

The thought of what Shanahan can do with a player of Watson’s caliber is incredible. Shanahan has never had a quarterback like Watson, and Watson would take the Niners offense to new heights.

Now, none of this is to dig at Garoppolo. Every single NFL team should be in the market if Watson is available unless their quarterback’s last name is Mahomes, Russell Wilson, or Aaron Rodgers. Every other NFL team should be in the market and should be prepared to pay an incredibly high price to bring in Watson.

This is a once-in-a-generation, league-shifting trade if it does happen. Watson would go for multiple first-round picks, being worth it. The Jacksonville Jaguars, for example, should be calling Houston and offering the first overall draft pick in 2021 and then some to bring in Watson instead of taking Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

And the SF 49ers should be no different.

Every asset, except tight end George Kittle, should be available for the Texans in a trade for Watson. Unfortunately, because now-fired head coach Bill O’Brien is gone, the Niners won’t be able to acquire a star player from the Texans for a washed-up running back and a spare change collection of draft picks, but Watson is worth much more than that.

If the Texans want multiple firsts, the SF 49ers should pay it. Perhaps new Texans general manager and former New England Patriot Nick Caserio thinks he can build around a fellow former Patriot, Garoppolo, and some sort of player swap with picks could be arranged.

Regardless, whatever the price is, the Niners need to be in the bidding war for Watson. A trade like this could completely change the future of the franchise by giving it a truly elite quarterback who can lead San Francisco even farther than it went in 2019.

It’s not an exaggeration to say Watson will win multiple Super Bowls for whatever team competently builds around him, and the SF 49ers are certainly equipped to build a superpowered offense around Watson.

Watson may be on the trade market this offseason. Regardless of the opinions on Jimmy G, there is no argument Watson isn’t a definite improvement. If the Niners are able to bring in Watson, they will have one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks for years to come.

If there is any possibility of that happening, they should be willing to pay an unprecedently high price in order to make it happen, as Watson is worth it.