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The courting of former Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt has already begun and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is at the forefront.
After the Texans announced that they were mutually agreeing to part ways on Friday and Watt sent out a message to Texans fans through his Twitter, the rumors of where Watt might land immediately started to fly.
There is an obvious connection to the Pittsburgh Steelers where his brothers T.J. and Derek both play, and there are several other teams that will be in the mix for his services as well. But, Diggs is making sure that the Bills are one of those teams.
The first-team All-Pro receiver reached out to Watt on Friday with a tweet.
“@JJWatt, just hear me out real quick big fella,” Diggs said in his tweet.
While Diggs is trying to get his recruitment in early, he’s bound to have competition as ESPN’s Ed Werder reported that about a dozen teams have shown interest in Watt since he and the Texans announced their separation.
Although Watt is nearing 32 years old, the former Wisconsin Badger put together a great NFL career during his 10 years in Houston, earning five Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro nominations as well. He’s also won Defensive Player of the Year three times (2012, ’14 and ’15). Even though he’s getting older, Watt could still have an impact on the defensive side for any Super Bowl competitor.
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Bills Legends Begin Watt Recruitment as Well
Diggs isn’t the only Bill that is looking to bring Watt to Orchard Park and NFL Hall of Fame receiver Andre Reed got into the mix as well.
“@jjwatt bro Buffalo is calling. We got a more than great team, more than great fans, great buffalo wings, great waterfall , great pizza and blue cheese … The missing piece is a great pass rusher to go with our other guys. You available to chat?” Reed said in his tweet.
Jim Kelly’s wife, Jill, even got into the mix after country singer Jake Owen tried to convince Watt to come to Nashville and play for the Tennessee Titans.
There’s no clear cut front runner as of yet in the Watt free agency race, but he is sure to draw a lot of interest this offseason as he looks for his next landing spot.
Buffalo is Seen as a Top Option for Watt
There are plenty of places where Watt could end up in the next month or two, but according to NFL Network Analyst Daniel Jeremiah, the Buffalo Bills are the best fit for Watt.
The Bills excelled in plenty of areas last season and blew the doors off of teams with their high-powered offense, but they struggled to bring down the opposing quarterback at times and lacked a premier edge rusher outside of veteran Jerry Hughes.
Depending on where the salary cap lands this offseason, the Bills could get creative to bring in Watt as they are on the lookout for another pass rusher this offseason.
They’ll have plenty of competition, but the Bills are a Super Bowl contender and have a need for his position. Most importantly, Watt fits the mold for the type of players that head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have been trying to bring to Buffalo. He’s a hard-nosed player with a non-stop work ethic and that could rub off on several of the younger players in the Bills locker room.
Only time will tell.
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