Former NFL GM floats absurd Deshaun Watson-Daniel Jones trade proposal
Each year, the NFL offseason generates several hypothetical trade scenarios. On Friday, former New York Jets GM and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum dropped an early contender for the offseason's wildest trade proposal.
Speaking on the latest episode of "Get Up ," Tannenbaum suggested that the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants swap quarterbacks. As part of Tannenbaum's hypothetical proposal, Cleveland would shed Deshaun Watson's salary by trading him and a second-round pick to New York in exchange for Daniel Jones.
"I'm trading Deshaun Watson and a second-round pick to the New York Giants for Daniel Jones," Tannenbaum said. "And hear me out: If you're the Cleveland Browns, you have Dorian Thompson-Robinson, you have Joe Flacco and now a 27-year-old Daniel Jones who has one year left of guaranteed money for $36 million and an enormous amount of flexibility."
"If you're the Giants, you're getting Deshaun Watson, who is 29, who is making $46 million a year for the next three years and a second-round pick," Tannenbaum continued. "To me, you need a front-line, difference-making quarterback ... how in the world do you win the NFC when you have to beat San Francisco, Green Bay, Dallas, Philly and Detroit with Daniel Jones?"
Although Cleveland and New York have concerns at quarterback, it goes without saying that neither team would be willing to agree to Tannenbaum's trade idea.
Cleveland made its bed with Watson after trading for him despite being accused of sexual misconduct and harassment by more than two dozen women and subsequently giving him the most guaranteed money of any player in NFL history.
The three-time Pro Bowler served an 11-game suspension in 2022 before returning to action and was not even close to his old self. Watson finished the 2022 season with a 58.2% completion rate, 1,102 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions in six games.
Watson's struggles persisted in 2023, and he missed three games with a rotator cuff injury before sustaining a season-ending shoulder fracture against Baltimore in Week 10, which was his statement win as a Brown.
While the Browns can only hope that Watson will eventually return to form, it's possible he could miss more time due to his legal issues. According to Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today, Watson may have to testify in one of the remaining sexual misconduct lawsuits against him. As a result, Watson could face further punishment from the NFL, depending on the case's outcome, per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.
As for the Giants, they should move on from Jones, even if they don't need to this offseason. After a breakout 2022 season that included a win over Minnesota in the wild-card round, Jones signed a four-year, $160M deal last offseason but regressed immensely in 2023. Jones threw for 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions before suffering a season-ending ACL tear in his first game back from a neck injury that sidelined him for three contests.
Jones' contract is only guaranteed through next season, so it's possible that the Giants could target his replacement this offseason, but it probably won't be Watson. Aside from the fact that Giants owner John Mara shut down the idea of trading for Watson in 2022, the signal-caller's troubling history and current contract outweigh any potential benefits of acquiring him.
Signing a veteran in free agency to compete with Jones for the starting job cannot be ruled out. However, ESPN's Jordan Raanan recently reported that selecting a quarterback "early in the draft is, at the very least, on the table, if not the preference" for New York.
It's fun to fantasize about outrageous trade ideas during the offseason, but Tannenbaum should stick to recommending more realistic hypothetical scenarios.
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