January and February are the two months chock full of hypotheticals for NFL teams that failed to make the playoffs, or were bounced fairly early in the postseason.
One of the biggest hypotheticals in the league is where Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson will continue his NFL career. The three-time Pro Bowler is disgruntled with the AFC South organization, and the end of his tenure in Houston may be drawing nigh.
Pro Football Focus played hypotheticals and proposed a trade between Houston and Washington. For Watson alone, the Texans would get defensive end Chase Young and Washington’s first-round picks for the next three drafts.
🚨 HYPOTHETICAL TRADE 🚨
Who got the better deal? 🤔 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bkEwnJRCC0
— PFF (@PFF) February 2, 2021
The Texans would immediately have a younger upgrade over defensive end J.J. Watt, and new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith would have the perfect edge rusher for his Tampa-2 system, much in the mold of a Simeon Rice or Dwight Freeney. The former No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft collected 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and a recovery returned for a touchdown.
As dominant as Young is as a youngster, and as great as he could be when he matures on the field, the reality is the game is not built around him. The game is designed for quarterbacks and offenses to succeed. Houston would enter some netherworld of uncertainty under center if they traded Watson, and what frightens Houston sports fans is they don’t know how long that purgatory will endure.
