What a Watson Trade Might Look Like

Long before quarterback Deshaun Watson officially requested a trade from the Houston Texans, speculation had begun as to what it would cost for any team to acquire his services.

Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, which gives some power in choosing his next team, and that could affect the price Houston can expect to have teams pay to make a deal.

Most analysts and pundits have suggested three first-round picks to be the start of any negotiation in a trade for Watson, but it’s difficult to use historical precedent because this will be the first time a 25-year-old franchise quarterback gets traded — if indeed that’s what ends up happening.

The most applicable precedent actually involves not a quarterback, but rather a running back: Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.

Dickerson was one of the best backs in the NFL in 1987 when the Los Angeles Rams traded him to the Indianapolis Colts in a three-way trade also involving the Buffalo Bills. In the end, the Rams’ return for Dickerson was three first-round picks, three second-round picks and a pair of running backs, Greg Bell and Owen Gill.

Of course, we also could look back to the famous Herschel Walker trade, which saw the Dallas Cowboys send him to the Minnesota Vikings along with four draft picks (ranging from third to 10th) for four players, three first-round picks, three second-round picks, a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick.

When we said “famous,” clearly we meant from the Dallas side because it most definitely is an “infamous” trade from the Vikings standpoint.

That trade was so lopsided it’s really not a good gauge for the Watson situation, which is why the Dickerson trade is better as a comparison tool.

More recently, we saw the Seattle Seahawks just last year give up two first-round picks and safety Bradley McDouglas to the New York Jets for safety Jamal Adams and a fourth-round selection.

So it’s easy to see that the idea of three first-round picks as a starting point for Watson isn’t crazy at all.

From a Dolphins historical standpoint, the biggest price they ever paid to acquire a player involved a pair of running backs, Delvin Williams and Ricky Williams.

RELATED: Dolphins History Lesson on Blockbuster Trades

To get Delvin Williams from the 49ers in 1978, the Dolphins gave up receiver/returner Freddie Solomon, safety Vern Roberson along with first- and fifth-round draft picks.

For Ricky Williams (along with a 2002 fourth-round pick), the Dolphins gave the New Orleans Saints two first-round picks and a fourth-round selection.

In terms of quarterbacks, the closest precedent to the situation involving Watson featured one-year Dolphins starter Jay Cutler.

Long before he came out of retirement to join the Dolphins in 2017, Cutler was a 25-year-old quarterback coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance for the Denver Broncos.

Reports at the time suggested a sour relationship between Cutler and new head Josh McDaniels from the start, and that led Cutler to demand a trade. He was sent to the Chicago Bears along with a 2009 fifth-round pick in exchange for two first-round picks and a third-round selection along with quarterback Kyle Orton.