Houston Texans superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson has made it clear that he does not want to play for them again and a trade to the Miami Dolphins could make a lot of sense for both parties.
Deshaun Watson Trade to Miami Could Be Reasonable
What About Tua?
The Miami Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. A star during his collegiate career, Dolphins fans were excited to see what they had in Tua at the NFL level. Tagovailoa made his first pro-level start in Week 8 of 2020. Although he showed potential through the season, he was not nearly what they had expected him to be.
After finishing the 2020 season 10-6, the Dolphins realize that they are not far off from being serious playoff contenders. Although Tua can develop into something good eventually, the Dolphins do not have time to wait for him to develop. Deshaun Watson is a proven elite quarterback who can help them win now.
Possible Trade Packages
Miami has a lot of draft capital in the 2021 draft, something that Houston is lacking. Miami has two first-round picks (one of which is Houston’s own first-rounder, at three overall) and two second-round picks. Packaging Tua Tagovailoa along with the number 3 pick, a second-rounder, and some future picks could be a great move for both sides.
Because Miami has a lot of draft capital, it would not hurt them too much to sacrifice some of it to obtain an elite franchise quarterback. In addition, Houston would obtain draft capital to help them with their rebuild, and they satisfy their angry quarterback Watson. This trade would be a fair one in which both sides benefit.
Salary Cap
This trade would make sense for both teams from a salary cap standpoint as well. Miami has about $30 million in cap room for 2021, and Watson’s cap hit in 2021 will be $15,940,000. This will leave them with some extra space to work with, possibly even bringing in some players in free agency to fill holes on the offensive line. Other holes, like that at the EDGE position, can be addressed in the draft.
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A Watson-Led Dolphins Team
A trade for Deshaun Watson would instantly make Miami a much better team. Watson would have Devante Parker, Preston Williams, Jakeem Grant, and Lynn Bowden to throw to. This would be a solid group to work with, considering that Watson led the league in passing yards with Brandin Cooks as his WR1 in the 2020 season.
As for the offensive line, Miami struggles in that area. However, as previously mentioned, they can address this need in both free agency and the draft. Watson has also proven that he can deal with a poor offensive line, as he has done in Houston for his whole career. The Dolphins do have some talent on the offensive line, however. 2020 first-round pick Austin Jackson had a poor season in 2020, but still has room to improve. He could potentially develop into a solid blindside protector for Watson.
All in all, Watson is a great leader and can help elevate the Miami Dolphins to a division title and maybe even a deep playoff run. This trade makes sense from both teams’ perspectives and would be interesting to see happen.
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