Breaking Down the Deshaun Watson Situation
Wednesday, July 14, was an interesting day for Philly sports media. Early that morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN came out and said that he believes the Eagles are "more equipped" than any team in the NFL to make a move for Deshaun Watson. Schefter also said he assumes when Watson's situation is settled in court, the Eagles will make a move for him. The respected insider added that with Watson, the Eagles are an immediate Super Bowl contender.
It's no secret that Deshaun Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but can the Eagles make a blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson this offseason? As shocking as this may be, it would be smarter for the Eagles to hold tight for now.
First of all, Deshaun Watson's situation in court has not been settled, and it does not seem like it will be within the coming months. Second, the Eagles are fresh off moving Wentz's $128 million dollar contract and making a commitment to Jalen Hurts as their guy. If Howie Roseman and the front office turn around and trade a second starting quarterback in the same offseason, the locker room would implode, and the players would have no trust in the management.
Taking a look at the financial side of things, the Eagles do have two first round picks in 2022, and that will become three if Wentz stays healthy this coming year, but Philly would have to give up a package similar to that of Jalen Hurts, Derek Barnett, Miles Sanders, and at least three to four first round picks for Deshaun Watson alone. Watson is also due for around $16 million in 2021, with means the Eagles would have to trade other starters for cheaper contracts or picks just so they could pay Watson.
All in all, the NFL season is under two months away, and trading for Watson before the season starts would set the team back this year, because not only would they be giving up a haul for the signal caller and creating locker room trauma, but they would also have to create an entirely new offense to put around him. If Howie Roseman and the Eagles wait until the beginning of the 2022 offseason to make a blockbuster move after they see what Jalen Hurts is capable of, Watson's case would likely be closed, and Philly would have the money to pay the young signal caller.