5 players who Washington might need to involve in a trade for Deshaun Watson
Whether you believe in Washington’s chances to potentially land superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson in a trade, the hypotheticals needs to be made. It would take an extraordinary amount of assets to get a deal done, but with a player of that magnitude, it can’t hurt to call and at the very least test the waters.
We’ve discussed a bit about what it might take to land Watson in a trade, and the most likely trade package would have Washington sending away multiple first-round picks, as well as some sweeteners, be that in the form of mid-round draft picks, or starting-caliber players.
If there are players that are entering the equation, it could absolutely make sense for Washington, seeing as it could lighten their load when mortgaging the future, and also benefit Houston right away. It would be hard to part with some of these guys, but if it helps land Watson, Washington needs to at least consider it. Here are five guys that could potentially benefit Houston in a trade.
DE Montez Sweat
(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
All of these players would hurt to give up, but parting ways with Montez Sweat would be incredibly painful. After a breakout season in 2020 that saw him lead the team in sacks, the young rusher has clicked well with the defense and become one of the premier players on the team. However, Washington has an abundance of talent on the defensive line, and that's somewhere that the Texans are lacking a bit. J.J. Watt is holding it down at DE, but his running mates are Charles Omenihu and Ross Blacklock — not a duo that inspires much confidence. If Houston were to pair Watt with Sweat, it could create a dangerous rushing duo, and I think Washington would need to consider it at the very least.
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A lot of the same things that were said about Montez Sweat can be said about Matt Ioannidis as well. He is a solid pass-rusher up the middle and holds stout against the run as well. Washington fans might be more inclined to give him up in a trade as well, seeing as he missed most of the 2020 season with an injury and the defense did just fine without him.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Collins could be an attractive piece for Houston's secondary, but his cap-hit might be a bit too spendy to involve him in any trades. Owed $17.5 million next season and coming off of an Achilles injury is enough to make anyone think twice, but the Texans could use the help in the secondary, where they currently have Jonathan Owens and Lonnie Johnson Jr. holding down the safety spot. If Houston asked to involve Collins in a trade, I think Washington would be happy to do so, looking to get that cap number off the books now that they have Kamren Curl to lean on at that position. Still though, this seems unlikely to happen.
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We hear about sign-and-trades all the time in the NBA, so why not try it in the NFL? Brandon Scherff is set to be a free agent this offseason, and while Washington is expected to re-sign him and keep him around, if the Texans asked to involve him to help shore up their offensive line, it might be hard to say no. Scherff is expected to get a big contract extension, and while Washington would absolutely miss him on the offensive line, the salary outlook might be worth it.
DE Chase Young
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
This option is ranked last for a reason, simply because if Houston asked for Chase Young and said that's the only way a deal gets done, I truly believe that Washington would hang up the phone immediately. That's how good this rookie DE is. Young is almost a lock to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and his ceiling for the future is so sky-high that many are already projecting him to be a Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest pass-rushers of all time. While Watson is great, Young simply means too much to this team to give him up. No way he is getting out of Washington.
