It finally happened. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson has officially requested a trade away from the Houston Texans. That means most of the league will likely be calling Houston over the next few months to acquire the franchise passer.
That will likely include the Las Vegas Raiders, who are very comfortable with their quarterback situation. Derek Carr is coming off a career year, but there is no doubting that Watson is the superior player at this stage of their career.
If the Raiders were to get involved in a potential trade for Watson, how much would it cost? Three first-round picks? More?
In a recent piece by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, he hypothesized a Watson trade for 17 teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders. In this trade scenario, he has the Raiders sending three first-round picks plus Carr out in order to acquire Watson. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the potential move for the Raiders:
“Carr has been the least of their problems for most of that stretch, but the 29-year-old wasn’t drafted by Gruden and has two years left on his existing deal. The former Bucs coach has stuck with Carr, but he has also had a wandering eye with quarterbacks and glowing things to say about Watson since he entered the league. Watson’s mobility and improvisational skills would give the Raiders another element on offense.”
If that were ultimately the cost for the Raiders, it would be well worth it. But with other teams having more picks and more valuable selections higher in the draft, Watson will likely go elsewhere. And that’s just fine for the Raiders as they are set at the quarterback position. However, it’s a move worth exploring nonetheless.
