There's a lot of Bible thumping going on down there for sure. Easterby is a nut, strange dynamics getting ol momma involved.
Right now the only thing Texans have going for them is that they have Watson. They are in bad CAP situation, no 1st/2nd rounder, but they do have top 3 QB in the League, who is 25 years old. Say you are in their shoes, would you trade him for 3 first rounders to the Jets? On one hand you have some picks now, including 2nd overall. But you need to get a QB, so you will spend #2 pick on that. And then you hope he develops at some point to be at Watson's level or worse. If he does, you are good, and if he doesn't? You lost FQB you had, and it's a long road up the hill, and we Jets fans very well know. Then I started to think about this possibility. Why not try to convince Watson to stay, fix what was wrong. Sure, he says he made up his mind, but he signed just a few months back. Time can change things. Texans are not going anywhere good next year anyway if they trade him. So why not keep him, and if he wants to sit, let him sit. They will probably get #1 overall pick next year with him sitting, and they can still trade him next year for 3 picks if they want, they still have his rights, and his value has not gone down. All of the sudden next summer things are not so dire. You have a #1 overall pick, I am sure they will shed some CAP. And maybe if he sits entire year, he will be more willing to come to the table to talk. Conversation will be a lot different next year when Texans actually have their assets again. They could trade #1 overall for several first rounders if Watson stays. So they have their FQB AND assets then. The bottom line here is, if I were their GM, that's exactly what I would do. You just need to bide some time. Worst comes to worst, you can still get the same value for Watson next year, and you have #1 overall too. After looking at this, I realize why they are not even willing to listen to offer at this point. Things can change of course, they may fall in love with Wilson or Fields and be willing to deal, but I can definitely see a scenario where just sit tight for a year and call Watson's bluff.
While I've played up the fact that I could see the Texans digging their heels in and refusing to move him, I do think it'd behoove them to just take a four draft pick package and move on. It's just going to keep getting worse for them as more comes out about how they've handled this entire ordeal. Four draft picks is an awful lot to try to rebuild the franchise. And they can walk away with a rookie quarterback, offensive tackle, and try to rebuild the defense in the middle rounds. It'll be slow and painful but the longer they wait and if they wait until after the draft, the package offers are just going to get worse and continue to delay their rebuild.
As much as us Jets fans like this to happen, Texans have all the cards. They can just sit and wait a year, get a #1 overall next year like Jags just did, get #33 overall 2nd rounder (today they have no 1st or 2nd), shed contracts, while pleading to Watson throughout, regardless how this ordeal was handled. I don't think Watson wants to sit for one or two years, and they can always trade him next year when they are in MUCH better shape. And I don't know if JD will give up four 1st for him, including #2 overall. Maybe, but probably not. After coming to realization Texans will have a tough year next year regardless, and really don't NEED to trade him this year, my small hopes to get him are pretty much all but completely faded.
I think they'd be silly to not trade him before free agency so they can have their ducks aligned in terms of the cap. They'd be asinine to not trade him before this year's draft and kickstart their rebuild, especially if he stays in I'll sit if I have to mode. But I agree with you for the next month or so. No rush until then. Plenty of time to try to fix the situation until those two events. By draft time the heat will be on though.
Yes, heat will be on before draft, and they will look at the offers, but the biggest thing about rebuild is having FQB. Heck, that's why we want him traded to the Jets! They already have him. Nothing asinine about holding onto one, even if he says he wants to get traded. It's not like Bell who sat a year and became FA. Watson just signed a contract extension in September, so they have his rights for next 5 years. If at any point between now and summer of 2022 they can convince him to play, they win. And if not, they will get #1 overall next year and can still trade him if they want. It will get hot before the draft for sure, but will JD offer 4 1st? Will they even accept it when they can just sit the guy, get #1 overall, and then trade him if they want at any time, while having a lot of time to convince him to play with a lot more assets now next year? I no longer see Watson being a Jet as a scenario that's not a pipe dream.
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/jamey-rootes-leaves-the-texans-organization Haha, so NOW was the perfect time to finally pull the trigger? He's not a part of the football side and shouldn't impact anything to do with Watson, but to decide that this moment was it for him doesn't strike me as natural or coincidental considering the unbelievably poor image that's being projected from McNair/Easterby right now.
I couldn’t fathom why a star quarterback would want to get away from that situation just as he is entering his prime… What a diva.
Please get Watson! Franchise altering, culture changing immediate impact. Jets would be a sought after destination for FA, instant respect.
If he was fed up with the insanity and saw that the situation was only going to get worse, why wouldn't he resign now?
It may mean that we're the one team to which Watson wouldn't accept a trade. In that way, they could keep Watson. Hopefully, however, it means that they don't see us as threats and Watson would be willing to be traded here. By making a statement like that, they lose a ton of leverage and we should be able to get him cheaper.
Also can't rule out that McClain might be trying to drive the price up for the Dolphins. He basically works for the team, nothing he does is without motivation.
Edit - sorry. Late to the party. I think this is newsworthy... Texans insider, McClain, said this about the Texans interest in Wentz: "MCCLAIN: None whatsoever. None whatsoever. They don't call teams, teams call them. And they told everybody they're not trading Watson. Doesn't mean they won't do it eventually. I guarantee you if they did, it would not be for Carson Wentz and the Eagles. "[...] "Anybody said [the Texans] called the Eagles, not true. If they trade him, it would be the Jets." If they trade Watson, it would be the Jets. He’s kind of the mouth piece of the organization in Houston. obviously don’t know what makes him say the Jets are where they would trade him, but this and Schefter recently changing his tune on the Jets sticking with Darnold are positives if you want Watson on the Jets.