The Realism of Deshaun Watson Joining the Minnesota Vikings
Although the article accompanying the tweet is mostly speculative and theoretical, this is the tweet that rocked the Minnesota Vikings offseason, if only for a couple of weeks:
As they do, the tweet spread worldwide, causing some Vikings fans to believe Deshaun Watson joining Minnesota was a real possibility. And it might be.
It’s just unlikely. Very, very unlikely.
Watson entered the league with the Houston Texans in 2017, immediately putting a thumbprint on the franchise and NFL. He’s damn prolific, equipped with the skill set to throw the football to Saturn and outrun opposing linebackers. His talents are special.
Since 2017, per EPA/play, Watson is the NFL’s third-best quarterback, trailing only Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees during the timeframe for offensive efficiency. The thinnest of whiskers separates Watson at #3 from Aaron Rodgers at #4.
Without any debate from anybody, Watson is a Top 5 quarterback on the planet when on the field. Of course, the Vikings should explore the seriousness of his trade desires.
But the problem is his reputation. Watson faces over 20 counts of sexual misconduct involving oodles of massage therapists. Something he did or does in massage parlors is unnerving to women. Based on the allegations, his actions are heinous.
If you could pretend none of the massage stuff happened – or you don’t care about morals – adding Watson to the Vikings is a no-brainer. You should be elated he’s interested in the purple and gold team.
He won’t be the Vikings QB1 in 2022, though. Vikings ownership, Zygi and Mark Wilf, cleaned house this offseason, terminating general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer. They said the new era would be a fresh one, stuffed to the gills is with collaboration.
The franchise won’t collaborate with a man embattled in blatant legal trepidation. Fresh starts don’t involve moral risk-taking. Plus, Minnesota would have to send tremendous draft capital to the Houston Texans. Right now, the Vikings must rebuild their defense, and the 2022 NFL Draft will be a prime spot for it. Sending draft assets to Texas for a sexual assault suspect is a weird strategy for a new beginning.
The Wilfs don’t like bad boys. They’re character-oriented businessmen. Find examples since 2006 when the Vikings lived on the wild side with nefarious characters. Few examples exist.
The Vikings ownership wants to renew the teams’ culture after stubbornness set in the last few seasons under Zimmer. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell are new, young, surrounded-by-shining-lights personalities. Inserting Watson into their bubble just doesn’t add up.
When the offseason began, fans debated a full rebuild or re-tooling philosophy. The Vikings evidently landed on re-tooling. Neither of those scenarios adds up if the team plans on adding a quarterback who may or may not have his legal situation figured out by September.
Historically, the Vikings don’t enjoy sending gobs of draft capital elsewhere after the tragedy of the Herschel Walker trade. Here and there is fine, but Minnesota doesn’t employ Ramsian techniques of trading draft capital for veterans.
It is wildly unrealistic the team would start now – with a man beset by legal drama – on the backdrop of an era embracing innovative change. Adding Watson is borderline-immoral, risky, impractical.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. 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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