NFC Teams Move to Front of Line for Deshaun Watson Trade
Dustin Baker
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After Deshaun Watson cleared criminal hurdles for an NFL return — he still has to resolve civil matters of sexual misconduct against him — QB-needy teams fell in line instantly for his services.
And on the Sunday before free agency begins, the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints seem to be sure-fire favorites inside the Watson Sweepstakes.
The price tag via trade capital won’t be cheap, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero:
“The Texans are expected to grant permission for interested clubs to speak to Deshaun Watson, so this could ramp up quickly. The price hasn’t changed – three first-round picks and more – and multiple teams are willing to pay it.”
– Tom Pelissero | NFL Network
At whatever the cost, the Minnesota Vikings are considered dark horses in the race for Watson, holding 12/1 odds amid the Watson trade hoopla, per BetOnline.ag.
Minnesota is indeed in the race, according to SI.com‘s Will Ragatz:
Watson would provide the Vikings guaranteed relevance as a Top 5 quarterback. But he’d arrive in Minnesota at a reputational cost. A significant number of Vikings fans aren’t interested in overlooking his alleged sexual misconduct indiscretions — just so their favorite football team can win ballgames.
The Panthers and Saints, on the other hand, might have bendable morals as the frontrunners for Watson. Teams’ ownership groups handle business in different ways. For the most part, Vikings ownership, the Wilfs, tend not to get in bed with known-nefarious players. Mischief was a mainstay of the Vikings in the mid-2000s, but when the Wilfs bought the team, the malarkey silenced, generally speaking.
Since Watson joined the NFL in 2017, per EPA/play, his performance is third-most efficient among all passers:
Watson is 26 and probably has a decade-and-a-half of upper-echelon quarterback performance left in the tank.
Mathematically, the Vikings have about an 8% chance to trade for Watson, per Vegas betting odds.
Interestingly, if Minnesota were the prize winner via trade for Watson, it would swap Kirk Cousins, a divisive figure, for an even more divisive one in Watson.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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