Getty Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller.
Despite having a strong quarterback in Derek Carr, the Las Vegas Raiders have once again found themselves in the middle of trade rumors. Nothing concrete has linked the team to Deshaun Watson quite yet but that hasn’t stopped many from speculating that a trade could happen. Watson is one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL and it’s almost unfathomable that he could be available in a trade.
Thanks to the fact that the Raiders have a good quarterback in house, they could be in a good position to trade for Watson if the Houston Texans decide to move on. However, it’s going to take a major haul for Houston to give up their best player. Typically, first-round draft picks are what get these deals done but the Texans could want even more. According to Colin Cowherd, the Raiders should trade Carr, four first-round picks and star tight end Darren Waller for Watson.
Jon Gruden — go get Deshaun Watson.
It’s hard to imagine the Texans would turn that deal down if they believe the Watson situation is not salvageable. They’d get a really good quarterback in Carr, the second-best tight end in the NFL in Waller and an unprecedented haul of draft picks.
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Raiders Will Never Trade Waller
There’s no doubt that the idea of adding Watson is at least somewhat interesting to head coach Jon Gruden. Carr is good but he’s not a generational talent like Watson is. Considering the AFC West has Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, the coach might be getting a little jealous.
With that said, if the Raiders are going to try and make a Watson trade, there’s absolutely zero chance that Waller will be included. He’s the team’s best player and is one of the best players in the NFL right now. He’s unguardable as a receiver and Gruden has raved about him whenever he has the chance. The coach loves Waller too much to even entertain a trade. If they included him in a Watson trade, the quarterback wouldn’t have anybody to throw to.
Will Texans Even Trade Watson?
While every fan base that doesn’t have a top-five quarterback is likely talking about how their team can acquire Watson, it’s not a foregone conclusion that he’s going anywhere. He signed a massive contract with the Texans heading into last season so he’s tied to the team, whether he likes it or not. With a new head coach and general manager getting hired this offseason, they probably aren’t too eager to get a deal done soon.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Houston isn’t entertaining trade talks with teams yet.
It’s still very early in the process and it’s hard to know how committed Watson is to forcing his way out yet. Is he willing to skip training camp or sit out of games? Considering how talented he is, the Texans should do whatever they can to try and fix the situation. Right now, it doesn’t look like it’s fixable but time heals a lot of wounds.
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