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QB Deshaun Watson, CLE (6 Viewers)

In  a 16 team, start 1 QB league I was offered Watson for Chase Edmonds and a late 2022 2nd. I have ARod as my starting QB. Watson's future is so murky, not sure what to do.

 
Source: Dolphins owner Stephen Ross “really wants” Deshaun Watson. He's 81 and wants to win now.

Mike Florio. 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/08/31/source-dolphins-owner-stephen-ross-really-wants-deshaun-watson/amp/?__twitter_impression=true


Omar Kelly

@OmarKelly

·

1h

According to a team source, the reports Steve Ross is advocating for Deshaun Watson are inaccurate. Dolphins owner Steve Ross does not force team decisions on the organization and he believes in Tua Tagovailoa.

 
Can't find a T Taylor thread so I will ask here:

How comfortable are we that Tyrod will start the whole season?

 
I have my doubts he plays at all this year.  I hope I'm wrong, because I have him in a couple of leagues.
I have Cooks and will be following this closely. Will he even be available to play on any given Sunday. Mills was bad in the preseason. 

 
Can't find a T Taylor thread so I will ask here:

How comfortable are we that Tyrod will start the whole season?


Assuming he remains healthy, I think there is a great chance Tyrod starts the first half of the season. Then, depending on when the Texans feel their season is over in terms of trying to win games, they could begin to start Mills. But Mills was very bad in preseason, so they could potentially have him sit the whole season. I really don't think Watson has any chance of starting any games for the Texans this season or ever again.

 
Definitely bizarre situation - I think the media was so all over it in the offseason that they finally have moved on....this is crazy because hes not even suspended and he's sitting out....so we are looking at a very possible situation where he sits out this year then gets suspended for a significant portion of next year.  Houston has zero incentive to trade him (as well as teams giving up assets for him) until the allegations clear up - likely close to next years draft....

 
Definitely bizarre situation - I think the media was so all over it in the offseason that they finally have moved on....this is crazy because hes not even suspended and he's sitting out....so we are looking at a very possible situation where he sits out this year then gets suspended for a significant portion of next year.  Houston has zero incentive to trade him (as well as teams giving up assets for him) until the allegations clear up - likely close to next years draft....
For sure bizarre. 

I am a little surprised Deshaun hasn't settled his civil lawsuits to try and move the process along. The NFL isn't going to do anything until the legal stuff is resolved. While Deshaun doesn't control what happens regarding criminal charges being brought against him, he can influence things by settling with the plaintiffs and giving them less incentive to cooperate with the prosecution. By settling he also gets rid of the civil lawsuits.

Why is getting suspended this year vs. next year better for Deshaun? Well, his base salary is $10 million this year and $35 million next year. So if he got suspended for half a season, he would save $12.5 million if that suspension was this year rather than next year. Also, if he could get everything done this season, that means he could get back to producing on the field next season which means ancillary dollars like endorsements could start coming in again. They may be reduced based on what has happened with him, but he will still get some endorsements which is better than none.

Of course the plaintiffs have to agree to a settlement. Since the initial settlement request was $100,000 by Buzbee when there was only one plaintiff and the plaintiff wasn't known by the general public, my guess is the settlement price per plaintiff is probably $500,000 at a minimum. That is a $12 million payout for 24 plaintiffs, so the cost of settling may be preventing Deshaun from doing it at this time.

 
ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reports the NFL hasn’t made a decision on Deshaun Watson's status because the Texans are "content to pay him to not play."

The league will "look at whether he should be placed on paid leave if Watson is traded," according to Florio, adding risk to any team that acquires him. The Dolphins are the team most connected to Watson, but Houston is going to have to come off their asking price of three first-rounders if they want to trade Watson in an ongoing legal situation. Watson will make his guaranteed $10 million salary to not play for the Texans if he isn't traded.

RELATED: 

Miami Dolphins

SOURCE: ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com

Sep 11, 2021, 10:11 AM ET

 
I can’t for the life of me imagine what the Texans are doing here. 

For one, asking for “6 players or picks” is perhaps the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of a team doing. It says nothing about the caliber of player or pic? Just…6? What the AF is that? 

Also, the more I think about it, the way they’re handing Watson completely let’s the NFL off the hook. They could just say, “well we’re paying him, so we’re gonna play him!” and I believe that that point the NFL would be forced to make a decision. Instead they’re going to pay him millions to not play, while the NFL says, “hey thanks! Now we don’t actually have to decide anything. Mighty kind of ya!”

Either something fishy is going on, or the Texans ownership/management are truly the dumbest bunch of yokels ever assembled. 

 
Also, the more I think about it, the way they’re handing Watson completely let’s the NFL off the hook. They could just say, “well we’re paying him, so we’re gonna play him!” and I believe that that point the NFL would be forced to make a decision. Instead they’re going to pay him millions to not play, while the NFL says, “hey thanks! Now we don’t actually have to decide anything. Mighty kind of ya!”
I mean, I think this is at the heart of what’s going on, the NFL and Texans have an agreement to just do nothing about it and see where they stand after the season. They don’t want to play this player, move this player, or have him in the news beyond sitting on the bench each week at all. And idk how the NFL got the Texans to be cool with it, but it’s pretty clear they’re on the same page. And Watson doesn’t care bc he didn’t want to play on that ####show roster again anyways, so he stays healthy and gets paid to be quiet for a while and see if this all blows over.

I agree it doesn’t make sense from the Texans POV, bc if it’s such a bad situation that optically, he can’t be allowed to play—then they should be able to go after his contract or at least pause on paying it. And if it’s NOT that bad, and he continues to get paid—well then why isn’t he on the field, or at least tradeable (though I doubt the offers right now are good).

So I mostly agree with you, I think we’re just missing whatever the NFL and Texans have agreed to over this, bc it’s clearly happened. Perhaps hosting the SB in a few years. 

 
I can’t for the life of me imagine what the Texans are doing here. 

For one, asking for “6 players or picks” is perhaps the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of a team doing. It says nothing about the caliber of player or pic? Just…6? What the AF is that? 

Also, the more I think about it, the way they’re handing Watson completely let’s the NFL off the hook. They could just say, “well we’re paying him, so we’re gonna play him!” and I believe that that point the NFL would be forced to make a decision. Instead they’re going to pay him millions to not play, while the NFL says, “hey thanks! Now we don’t actually have to decide anything. Mighty kind of ya!”

Either something fishy is going on, or the Texans ownership/management are truly the dumbest bunch of yokels ever assembled. 


Houston doesn't want to play him because of two things. 

1.  They have a better chance to win which hurts their draft spot

2.  They don't want to risk an injury which would totally remove any chance of a trade at some point.

The NFL doesn't care because they have already said they aren't doing anything until the legal side is finished.  It's actually pretty simple.  

 
Houston doesn't want to play him because of two things. 

1.  They have a better chance to win which hurts their draft spot

2.  They don't want to risk an injury which would totally remove any chance of a trade at some point.

The NFL doesn't care because they have already said they aren't doing anything until the legal side is finished.  It's actually pretty simple.  
is it though? 

it seems to cost them millions of dollars, which complicates it a bit.

if they activated him, they could keep him on the bench where he isn’t helping them win (your 1st point) and thus forcing the NFL to make him ineligible (to your 1st & 2nd points) eliminating any possibility of injury.

And if the NFL opts to not do that, HOU is free to deal him. 

Seems like the best thing for the Texans is to force the NFL’s hand. 

 
is it though? 

it seems to cost them millions of dollars, which complicates it a bit.

if they activated him, they could keep him on the bench where he isn’t helping them win (your 1st point) and thus forcing the NFL to make him ineligible (to your 1st & 2nd points) eliminating any possibility of injury.

And if the NFL opts to not do that, HOU is free to deal him. 

Seems like the best thing for the Texans is to force the NFL’s hand. 


It is not costing them millions because they have to pay him regardless (unless the courts get in gear and he gets found guilty to the point the NFL then does something because the courts are done).  

Why would making him active "force the NFL to make him ineligible"?   They could but they don't have to have (NFL).  They seem to be set on waiting until it plays out through the legal system before they do anything.  

Houston is "free to deal him" right now.  They just don't have a willing partner at the moment.  

 
It is not costing them millions because they have to pay him regardless (unless the courts get in gear and he gets found guilty to the point the NFL then does something because the courts are done).  

Why would making him active "force the NFL to make him ineligible"?   They could but they don't have to have (NFL).  They seem to be set on waiting until it plays out through the legal system before they do anything.  

Houston is "free to deal him" right now.  They just don't have a willing partner at the moment.  


Oh - I thought I'd read that the NFL wouldn't have to take any action unless they activated/played him. 

And while they are free to deal him now, no one will want to deal for him with the ambiguity hanging over him from both the legal side, and the NFL side. 

At least if the NFL side was cleared up, maybe they'd find a partner. But they also don't seem to want to realistically deal him, considering their ridiculous demand of "6 players or picks" which might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard a team say. 

But it's the Texans, so I leave the door open for something dumber in the future. 

 
Developments this weekend could make this an interesting week for Deshaun Watson. With Taylor's injury, do the Texans consider activating Watson at QB? If so, does the league then put him on the exempt list so he doesn't actually play? With Tua's injury, does that motivate the Dolphins to go after Deshaun more aggressively sooner? Should be interesting to watch.

 
Texans head coach David Culley said Deshaun Watson won't play this week against the Panthers. 

Culley was quick to shoot down speculation that Tyrod Taylor's hamstring injury and Davis Mills' uneven Week 2 performance would force Houston into activating Watson, who faces allegations of sexual assault from more than 20 women. Taylor has already been declared out for the Texans' Thursday nighter against Carolina, leaving Mills to start against an upstart Panthers defense that shut down the Saints in Week 2. Mills is nothing but a desperation option in superflex formats. 

RELATED: 

Davis Mills

, Tyrod Taylor

SOURCE: Andrew Siciliano on Twitter 

Sep 20, 2021, 11:23 AM ET

 
Developments this weekend could make this an interesting week for Deshaun Watson. With Taylor's injury, do the Texans consider activating Watson at QB? If so, does the league then put him on the exempt list so he doesn't actually play? With Tua's injury, does that motivate the Dolphins to go after Deshaun more aggressively sooner? Should be interesting to watch.
I would guess that the Texans and any potential suitors have all been briefed on the situation. I would expect that the league has approached the Texans and said everything is fine with the status quo, but any changes to that and Watson will go on the exempt list. There is likely a contingency that if at some point he is on an active game day roster then the league will intervene. I don't think there is a lot of intrigue and mystery to the situation . . . but it may seem that way to fans / outsiders.

 
This note by Florio is so odd. Anything more to back that up? 

ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reports the NFL hasn’t made a decision on Deshaun Watson's status because the Texans are "content to pay him to not play."

Effectively, if the Texans are letting the NFL off the hook they really are that terrible at the Front Office level. By not forcing the NFL to act, they are allowing this situation to extend into the 2022 season, which is idiotic. At least activate him and see what happens. Doing nothing makes it even more likely that any suspension handed down will be kicked on down the road and make it difficult to move Watson next year, as well. At least if they forced a decision they have a chance at getting the suspension started NOW while they don't have any intention of playing him, anyway. 

All depends on whether there's any validity to Florio's remarks here or it's simply a BS attention grabber.

 
I would guess that the Texans and any potential suitors have all been briefed on the situation. I would expect that the league has approached the Texans and said everything is fine with the status quo, but any changes to that and Watson will go on the exempt list. There is likely a contingency that if at some point he is on an active game day roster then the league will intervene. I don't think there is a lot of intrigue and mystery to the situation . . . but it may seem that way to fans / outsiders.
Why would the Texans agree to this?  Wouldn't they want him on the exempt list so they would gain a roster spot back?

 
Why would the Texans agree to this?  Wouldn't they want him on the exempt list so they would gain a roster spot back?
Why would they agree to pay him not to play and take up a roster spot in the first place? Maybe they hope Watson will settle. Or the investigation turns up nothing major. Or the DA decides to drop the case. Or that they hope a team will make them some great offer to trade for him and then Watson can become their problem (not sure if guys on the exempt list could get traded). Or that they think that the organization can kiss and make up and they are trying to keep Watson happy by not going on the exempt list. I really don't have a good answer for you, and the entire situation is pretty unusual to try to figure out all the permutations. What I don't understand is why the Texans haven't tried to suspend him for conduct unbecoming to the team. They may only be able to do that in the short term, but it might save them a few million dollars.

 
Houston is "free to deal him" right now.  They just don't have a willing partner at the moment.  


I agree with this, Houston has been begging anyone to take him off their hands, granted at a very high asking price but it doesn't sound like teams are even knocking on their door right now. They acted like they had not gotten a true offer or the one they wanted but that was a smokescreen, a bad one. If they had a true trade partner they would continue to try and make something work. 

I do believe a team or two is going to start making phone calls, Grier's seat is hot and I don't know if Miami can take on all that baggage he has at the moment but Watson is an infinitely better QB than Tua and in the present NFL, Watson is almost a Top 5, they would become an instant playoff contender, at least Wildcard talk almost every year. That's something Miami hasn't had in over 20 years.  

 
Why would they agree to pay him not to play and take up a roster spot in the first place? Maybe they hope Watson will settle. Or the investigation turns up nothing major. Or the DA decides to drop the case. Or that they hope a team will make them some great offer to trade for him and then Watson can become their problem (not sure if guys on the exempt list could get traded). Or that they think that the organization can kiss and make up and they are trying to keep Watson happy by not going on the exempt list. I really don't have a good answer for you, and the entire situation is pretty unusual to try to figure out all the permutations. What I don't understand is why the Texans haven't tried to suspend him for conduct unbecoming to the team. They may only be able to do that in the short term, but it might save them a few million dollars.
I can see a scenario where the team is trying to not further alienate the players and fans.  They have already done a fair bit of damage with the Hopkins/Watt fiascos.  However, forcing the NFL's hand to make a decision(that they clearly should already have been forced to make) should do nothing to harm the relations between the Texans and Watson or the Texans and the fans.

I guess the part of your original post I objected to was that the NFL and Texans have some sort of wink wink deal.  I just don't see how any sort of deal could benefit the Texans.

 
I can see a scenario where the team is trying to not further alienate the players and fans.  They have already done a fair bit of damage with the Hopkins/Watt fiascos.  However, forcing the NFL's hand to make a decision(that they clearly should already have been forced to make) should do nothing to harm the relations between the Texans and Watson or the Texans and the fans.

I guess the part of your original post I objected to was that the NFL and Texans have some sort of wink wink deal.  I just don't see how any sort of deal could benefit the Texans.
I guess it depends on how you look at it. Is being told "this is what will happen if he gets activated" actually considered "a wink wink deal?" This is essentially a similar situation the Patriots found themselves in 2 seasons ago with Antonio Brown. Rather than worry about the league intervening, the Pats just cut Brown instead of dealing with the perpetual distraction. They ultimately worked out a deal to pay AB less than he was due, but IIRC he got $5 million to play in just a single game with NE.

IMO, HOU should have pushed the issue with both Watson and the league. Back in camp, if they told Watson that they would be playing him, he either would participate or would refuse. If he said no, then they had an even better case to suspend him AND NOT PAY HIM. Moving to the league side, they could either let him play or intervene. If they intervened, then the NFL would be the ones making the decision if they either suspended him or put him on the exempt list. The way things stand now, the Texans don't look like they have a Plan A, Plan B, or any idea what is going on . . . which given their other moves the last couple of years isn't exactly helping the optics they need to retain their fan base.

 
Grier's seat is hot and I don't know if Miami can take on all that baggage he has at the moment but Watson is an infinitely better QB than Tua and in the present NFL, Watson is almost a Top 5, they would become an instant playoff contender, at least Wildcard talk almost every year. That's something Miami hasn't had in over 20 years.  
Life long dolphins fan here and I think you nailed it. Ross is going to demand Grier make this trade for Watson happen is my belief. Too bad, Tua is such a good character too and I feel terrible for the kid.

The patience is not there, and after Sunday (blame the o-line imo), can't wait another 6-8 weeks to get him back out there to see if there's been progression (more likely regression). I think they move on and give up the house for Watson soon.

 
I The way things stand now, the Texans don't look like they have a Plan A, Plan B, or any idea what is going on . . . which given their other moves the last couple of years isn't exactly helping the optics they need to retain their fan base.
When you have a QB like Watson and a team that was on the cusp of being a yearly Playoff contender even if they didn't advance far, to where they are now with really no explanation and how they let this all happen...they got the rug pulled out from under them, not sure a fan base will buy into their next franchise QB right away if they can even get another one...franchises go decades and longer without ever seeing one. 

 
When you have a QB like Watson and a team that was on the cusp of being a yearly Playoff contender even if they didn't advance far, to where they are now with really no explanation and how they let this all happen...they got the rug pulled out from under them, not sure a fan base will buy into their next franchise QB right away if they can even get another one...franchises go decades and longer without ever seeing one. 
I get it. The whole situation is unlike anything we've seen before. If it were just Watson's off field issues, things would be different. Watson hasn't been a fan of some questionable moves including trading away a Top 3 WR . . . or hiring a coach he wasn't a fan of (if we want to suggest players should get a voice in picking their head coach). Watson apparently had issues with the owner, the staff, and direction of the team. That part is an equally big part of the problem. Even if Watson were angelic off the field, his relationship with the Texans had grown toxic. I don't know enough of what all was happening in HOU, so hard for me to provide an informed opinion on how they should have handled that aspect of it. They may have been hood winked with all the lawsuits and that wasn't the team's fault . . . but they still need to conceive an exit strategy and navigate through the turbulent waters they are in now.

On the surface, it looks like the team is content to pay him this year, hope his court / legal / off field issues get resolved by training camp, hope he isn't disciplined, and then trade him for more than the low ball offers they may have received to date. Except by then Watson's salary jumps to $35 million and they would still have to take a $51 million cap hit. I have no idea how his court cases and grand jury stuff will play out (and when), but it could end up taking a year+. Courts move at a snail's pace.

If they are unable to get Watson back in the fold (which that is starting to look like the way things will play out), then they would need another QB moving forward. If that was the likely outcome, IMO, they should have taken what they could get for him in a trade and move on. Being in limbo won't win any games and won't get them to turn the page to finding the next guy.

 
@Anarchy99

I agree with your point about Watson and the Texans telling him they are going to play him and if he refuses I would think they have a terrific case for hardship and the NFL could get behind them more and back them making things look bad for Watson but the Texans have opted not to go that route. 

His salary jump to $35M has some teams in limbo as players like Miami which simply doesn't have the cap room at present to really pull off the trade. Maybe they could swing the trade and fit it under in 2021 but Miami would have to shed a lot of salary in the off season to make room for his '22 salary. 

All things can be negotiated but these are some major hurdles. The Phins would look different which might not be bad but they would have to lose some front line defensive guys right off the top. Fuller is making well over $10M this year, closer to $15M I think. 

 
Any team trading for Watson won’t have much trouble fitting him under the cap if it does indeed go up to $208MM. (I think Miami is projected to have the most cap space in the league next year currently?)

Plus Houston will have to absorb his pro-rated signing bonus leaving him with “just” a base salary of $35MM for 2022. A new team could convert any portion of that to a new signing bonus and spread it out over the 4 years left in his contract. So if inclined, a team could convert $20MM to signing bonus and drop his cap number to $20MM total for 2022. The next year his cap number would go up to $42MM in that scenario, but I wonder if a roster bonus can be converted to signing bonus to further lower his hit in 2023? I guess could just convert his base salary that year if so desired.

 
Dolphins Q&A: Does Tua Tagovailoa’s injury mean Miami goes after Deshaun Watson?

Excerpt:

Q: After Tua’s injury, does that mean we go after Watson? — Aramis Montenegro III on Twitter

A: It’s a subject that has been brought up on a number of national programs since Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field in the first quarter of Sunday’s 35-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Here are a few reasons why the answer is still no — for now.

For one, there still haven’t been any developments in clearing Deshaun Watson’s name from the 22 civil suits filed against him for coercive and lewd sexual behavior with female massage therapists, with two alleging sexual assault. With that dangling, it’s still too risky to take on Watson when he faces possible suspension or even criminal charges.

The risk is especially high with the Texans not budging on their asking price for Watson, wanting some combination of six players and draft picks for the star quarterback that led the NFL in passing in 2020, throwing for 4,823 yards.

Then, there’s the factor that Tagovailoa’s bruised ribs injury may not keep him out for too long. Monday reports indicate it will come down to pain tolerance after he took a blow to the rib cage when Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa drove him to the ground on a hit that knocked him out in the first quarter on Sunday. Wearing a flak jacket is a possibility for Tagovailoa to protect his ribs and get him out there with a Week 3 game at the Las Vegas Raiders on the horizon, although it could create discomfort in his throwing motion.

It’s no secret the Dolphins have been involved in trade talks with Houston, but there is still a desire to see what the franchise has with Tagovailoa, the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft. If he shows signs that he’s developing into a top-half starting quarterback in the NFL, the Dolphins may not be willing to meet the Texans’ asking price, even if Watson is completely cleared.

Here’s where the injury could lead to a potential move for Watson down the road: If Tagovailoa does not come back throwing the ball effectively from this injury. If he struggles, that will only ramp up the pressure on general manager Chris Grier to steer things in the right direction by the Nov. 2 trade deadline or in the offseason. This could be the case whether Tagovailoa comes back and has a hard time or if he’s held out for several weeks. In the latter case, there are further durability issues presenting themselves that could lead the Dolphins to make a move.

There is also the question of what the true value of these draft picks is for Miami. The Dolphins haven’t been selecting franchise-lifting players with their first-round picks. Left tackle Austin Jackson had a rough go on Sunday, and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene was a healthy inactive for the first two weeks. If the Dolphins aren’t drafting any good players, why not trade draft picks for a sure, proven, elite quarterback?

There still would be a roster to fill out around that player — even Watson went 4-12 with the 2020 Texans — but the Dolphins would surely be able to attract free agents into such a situation. It helps that it’s already known the Dolphins are Watson’s preferred trade destination.

The Dolphins would have to get this line fixed to block in front of Watson if they were to bring him in. As much as an improvement as he would be over Tagovailoa or Jacoby Brissett, he wasn’t winning that game against Buffalo either on Sunday with the pressure given up — or the drops from receivers, including one from DeVante Parker in the end zone and two from Albert Wilson.

Public perception, whether Watson is cleared or not, would have to come into consideration, as well, for any trade for Watson. The Dolphins would not want to alienate a large portion of the fan base that may not want to see the team pursue a player with this troubling cloud over him.
Published yesterday, prior to the new breaking that Tua Tagovailoa has fractured ribs.

 

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