Getty Seattle Seahawks QB Russell and Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson.
You can question the logistics. You can question Russell Wilson’s criteria for what makes a viable suitor — and why he evidently doesn’t mind getting his head bashed in operating behind subpar offensive lines. However, what you can’t question at this point is that the New York Giants appear to, at the very least, be in the running to acquire the eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback this offseason.
On December 12, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport joined “GameDay Notebook“ to all but confirm this notion. Rapoport stated that a December 8 report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz claiming that Wilson would waive his no-trade clause if he were traded to one of three destinations — including the Giants — “is true.”
Of course, piquing Wilson’s interest is a nice perk for a team that has struggled under center for the better part of the past decade. Yet, to capitalize on Wilson’s rumored interest and actually acquire the former Super Bowl champion, it would take a blockbuster-type trade to bring Seattle to the table. Thankfully for the Giants, a fellow superstar quarterback could help sweeten the pot.
Is Deshaun Watson the Key to Getting Wilson to New York?
It wasn’t all too long ago that the G-Men were urged to throw their hat into the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes. Of course, legal issues surrounding the Houston Texans signal-caller ultimately put that chatter to rest. Still, that hasn’t appeared to fully deter other potential suitors from snooping around a possible deal for the NFL’s reigning pass yards leader.
Watson’s agent David Mulugheta recently sat down with ESPN’s Ryan Clark for an interview on the “Face First” podcast in which he claimed the Texans quarterback is “super confident” in how his legal situation will play out. If those comments hold any weight, then Watson could be donning new threads come next season — and just maybe, the Giants can help facilitate such a move.
USA Today’s Dan Benton highlighted a three-way trade between the Giants, Texans and Seahawks as a possible scenario that could help get Russell Wilson to East Rutherford:
Trades in the NFL are relatively rare and three-team trades are like stumbling upon Bigfoot. However, they do happen from time to time and Wilson potentially being moved could open the door to that. Should the Seahawks decide they want to ship Wilson off and the Giants become involved, sweetening the deal might become easier by involving a third team. Let’s say the Houston Texans.
With Houston and quarterback Deshaun Watson likely headed for an ugly divorce, perhaps a scenario evolves that sends Watson to Seattle, Wilson to New York and Daniel Jones to the Texans (among other moving pieces).
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‘Not Impossible’
While Benton acknowledged that the three-team blockbuster is “improbable” he also made it a point to note that it is “not impossible.” Putting aside the magnitude of such a deal, if the Seahawks are willing to part with Wilson — a big if — the concept has its merits.
Of course, Watson is a wild card, but should things work out on the legal front, the Seahawks would replace a potentially unhappy Wilson with an elite talent seven years his junior. As for the Texans, they’d rid themselves of the Watson headache and land a player in Jones who, at the very least, is a theoretical improvement upon Davis Mills. With Jones in place, the Texans could at least buy themselves some time and build up their roster without being pressed into using a high-end draft pick on a quarterback they may not be 100-percent sold on.
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Wild 3-Team Giants Blockbuster Could Include Russell Wilson & Deshaun Watson: Insider