Deshaun Watson is set to go into his fourth game as a healthy scratch for the Texans, but the team is believed to be more open to making a deal. The Texans have softened their asking price for the embattled Pro Bowler.
While the Dolphins are the team most closely connected to Watson, the Eagles have been mentioned as a team monitoring the situation. Philadelphia may be stepping out of the Watson sweepstakes, however, with Fox’s Jay Glazer noting the team is currently "not in the mix" for the three-time Pro Bowler.
The legal and civil suits in which Watson is embroiled have torpedoed his trade value, with suitors understandably leery about the quarterback’s availability. The Eagles do have the draft capital to make an interesting offer. Philly has two 2022 first-rounders and would collect a third if Carson Wentz plays 75% of the Colts’ snaps this season. Even if Wentz falls below that threshold, that pick would become a second-rounder in ’22.
Philly also has uncertainty at quarterback. After a strong start, Jalen Hurts‘ audition season has hit an early rough patch. This trend continuing will link the Eagles to the 2022 first-round QB prospects, but that group has not generated the kind of hype the 2020 or 2021 classes did. While the Eagles would make sense as a Watson suitor, the Dolphins could be more ready to make a deal before this year’s deadline. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is believed to be behind a Watson trade, even amid the off-field trouble.
This year’s trade deadline is Nov. 2. The Texans would seemingly benefit by hanging onto Watson throughout this season and committing to trade him in the offseason, when more clarity emerges on his availability. If the Eagles are stepping back on a possible 2021 trade, the Dolphins would be in position to benefit — if they are indeed willing to part with notable capital to acquire Watson without knowing what punishment will come to pass.
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