After trade request, Saints must make a run at Texans QB Deshaun Watson

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The long-expected news of Deshaun Watson requesting a trade from the Houston Texans has gone public, and the New Orleans Saints should at least call and see what it would cost to pry him away from the reeling franchise.

It’s a different situation than the one Matthew Stafford is in, where the Detroit Lions have agreed to part ways and are amicably negotiating a trade. Watson’s gripe is with Texans leadership and team owner Cal McNair; this isn’t a relationship first-year head coach David Culley is likely to mend.

For one thing, and most crucially, Watson’s contract includes a no-trade clause. That means he will choose where he goes next; no matter how many draft picks lowly teams like the New York Jets throw at Houston, if Watson doesn’t want to play there, he won’t have to. No trade will go through without his written permission.

It gives an opportunity for teams like the Saints to get in the running. They can offer Watson what he wants in terms of a proven head coach and a strong supporting cast even if they lack the draft capital other teams have stockpiled.

Now, sure, that doesn’t mean Watson would be a cheap pickup. The Saints would still have to put multiple first-round draft picks on the table and maybe a player — a blue-chip talent like Marshon Lattimore or Ryan Ramczyk, maybe. Franchise quarterbacks don’t become available often, and acquiring someone as gifted as Watson is going to cost more than we may expect.

Especially if teams with similar selling points to New Orleans and more resources get involved. The Miami Dolphins could offer a possible replacement in Tua Tagovailoa and the draft picks Houston needs (ironically, some of those selections were their own, lost in Bill O’Brien’s blundering trades as de facto general manager) while presenting an up-and-coming roster and solid braintrust between head coach Brian Flores and G.M. Chris Grier.

The salary cap accounting for Watson is affordable, too. He’s only on the books for $15.94 million in 2021, and his future cap hits rise after the Saints expect to shed the dead money from Drew Brees retiring (whenever that actually happens). While they’ve been respectful to Brees and preached patience in letting him announce his decision to return or move on, they can’t let that get in the way of possibly landing Watson. They can’t bet on Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston suddenly erasing all of their flaws, either.

And while trading a package of, say, three first rounders is daunting, consider how the Saints invested their last three first-round picks: Cesar Ruiz, who couldn’t win the starting job at right guard as a rookie; and the pick traded to move up in 2018 and select Marcus Davenport, who has been injured, inconsistent, and too often unproductive. There’s no guarantee the Saints hit on their future picks in the first round, whereas Watson is a proven commodity.

So. Here’s hoping the Saints at least put themselves in the running. This is the sort of aggressive move that can define the next era of football in New Orleans and ensure a smooth transition from Brees. But as I pointed out, they’re hardly in the best position to pull off a blockbuster trade like this. With so many options available at quarterback, this offseason could be the most exciting we’ve seen for the Saints.

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