Would the Las Vegas Raiders trade for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson? Maybe not, but if they did, it wouldn’t be the first time an NFL threw a curveball at us.
Mike Florio of Pro Football talk reported Watson broached with teammates the possibility of requesting a trade. This has drawn many fanbases to the thought of making a move for the Top 5 quarterback. The Raiders have a signal-caller coming off a career year. Nevertheless, there is much speculation around how this offense could improve with an elite signal-caller under center.
Keep in mind quarterback is far down the line of needs for the 2021 Raiders. Therefore, it may be hard to invest resources into this position. Pulling this blockbuster trade for Watson would have positive and negative effects. Here’s a look at both sides of the coin.
Why it makes sense for the Raiders to target Deshaun Watson
AFC West offenses on the rise
In previous seasons, the Raiders had to fear the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive firepower. Now, it seems like there’s another player who is going to give the division and defending Super Bowl Champions a run for their money. Rookie of the Year candidate Justin Herbert took the league by storm after he took over for the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.
Not only will this Las Vegas team need to compete offensively with the Chiefs for years to come, but they will also have to keep up with the Oregon product as well. The Raiders will have to continue improving on offense if they don’t want to fall behind in a very tough division.
The ideal scenario for Deshaun Watson
Offensively, Watson made do with subpar starters across the board, specifically on the offensive line. He has had terrible protection upfront since his first NFL start. This past season, he took 42 quarterback takedowns, the second-most sacks in the NFL. On the other hand, Las Vegas has a sturdy offensive line. The Clemson standout would have the opportunity to stay upright and create plays at a far higher rate than he did in ‘H-Town’.
Also, Watson’s weapons with the Texans were not much to write home about, especially in 2020. Since the departure of DeAndre Hopkins, he has had little to work with outside of injury-prone receiver Will Fuller V. Meanwhile, the Raiders have a stud in running back Josh Jacobs, Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, and a consensus Top 10 offensive line, this seems like a very ideal situation for someone like Deshaun Watson.
Related: Raiders OL Receives Low Grade Amid Struggles
It could also be counterproductive
The Raiders have far bigger needs
To put it simply, the Raider’s defense was not much better than their Texans’ counterpart. In fact, both units lost games for their respective teams in 2020. In the Raider’s case, losses to the Miami Dolphins, Chargers, and Chiefs could have been avoided with even mediocre defensive play. This is why it is very understandable for Raider’s fans to oppose a potential move for Watson. From all across the defensive front, to needing a ball-hawking safety in the secondary, this defense may be too far underwater for the Raiders to invest serious assets into an upgrade at quarterback.
Potential Trade
Houston Receives:
- 2021 first-round pick
- 2022 first-round pick
- 2022 third-round pick
- Quarterback Derek Carr
- Right guard Gabe Jackson
Las Vegas Receives:
- QB Deshaun Watson
- 2021 sixth-round pick
Undoubtedly, the Texans will want a haul for Watson. Nonetheless, they may look to acquire a bridge-quarterback in a deal for Watson before they bring in a new, cheap, and young talent. If this is what Houston would want in exchange for their franchise quarterback, the Raiders must steer clear and hold onto their assets. While a move for Watson would bring much excitement to Sin City, there are simply too many holes on the defense for the Raiders to sink their teeth into a deal for the former Clemson Tiger.
Top Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Twitter: @raiderstankszn
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No way! Giving up the house. Rather go with Mario take!!
Carr is better than Watson
Trading a number of draft picks for a less skilled quarterback makes no sense. Even if they were of equal skill, Carr has three years in the system. Watson’s learning curve and lack of draft capital would further retard the progress Las Vegas is making.
What’s the difference between Carr and no defense or Watson with no defense. We need D!!!!!!!
Derrick Carr is KRYPTONITE for the Raiders!!!! He shows you just enough to get by! Owners and coaches will say (WELL HE’S SHOWN US HE’S CAPABLE , WELL MAYBE IF WE CHANGE THIS , OR CHANGE THAT WE’LL BE CHAMPIONS WITH KEEPING CARR). It’s a illusion!!! 8 years under two different coaches , with him getting to the playoffs once , and still the Raiders organizations eyes are wide shut!!! Carr doesn’t read the Blitz well , times when he should not stay in the pocket he will get sacked and fumble or throw a interception. He won’t run when he needs to to give his team a fighting chance to win in close games. He has (MENTAL LAPSES) that impedes his progress to ((WITH ALL HIS ABILITY)) Make him stink! He’s like Satan. Shows you just enough to wow you then pulls the rugg from underneath your feet , and you fall. Mr Gruden. If you value you job. You’ll move on from Carr and let some New talent evolve! QB Mariota , or trade for Deshawn Watson. THE CHEMISTRY WITH CARR IS A FAILURE! You see what happened to Coach Jack Del Rio. Don’t let it happen to you Coach Gruden! In my opinion QB Mariota should be given a shot. He was with a bad team in Tennessee. He’s HUNGRY! HE COULD BE THE FUTURE!
This hypothetical is ignorant of history. There will be no Carr playing again for the Texans. Even without that issue, the Raiders would end up paying a lot of extra money for, at best, marginally better QB performance. Raiders should focus on re-signing Agholor, the o-line, and the defense. The proposed deal would leave the Raiders in a much worse position for the long term. It’s not like Watson has shown he can carry a team himself, either.
Wow really? Should we trade the house for Travis Kelce too? If real needs are actually looked at, starting on the defensive side of the ball, then this article would have significance. Offensive finished in the top 10 in the NFL. Defense bottom 3. Offense put up great points this year. Defense gave up even greater points. And we are still going to try to make this about Derek Carr? Simply put, this is an article to bring the haters out and nothing more. Hey I see one already. Keep Carr, build the defense, ignore haters, and write better articles. Enough said.
Watson is a top 3 QB in this league & a major upgrade over Carr !! Anybody who says otherwise is a simpleton; if the Texans will take Carr & some draft picks, the Raiders need to jump on that quickly
The entire concept of the Raiders trading for Watson is monumentally stupid. This current Raider team was a total of 2 minutes of competent defense away from having 11 wins. There is no need whatsoever to trade for ANY offensive talent.
Pull this move immediately. Carr is the definition of average and wont ever be any better than he’s already been. And the first round picks mean nothing aince we cant draft high worth a damn.