Panthers have NFC South competition for Deshaun Watson. The winner controls the division
It’s no coincidence that three of the four betting favorites to land Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson are NFC South teams.
The future of the NFC South is at stake as the Panthers and Saints are making pushes for the 26-year-old quarterback, a former NFL executive with knowledge of the situation told The Observer.
“If I’m the Panthers and Scott Fitterer, you go all,” the former executive said. “Because you’ll be in charge of the division. Whoever wins in the South with Deshaun Watson is going to be the team every year for the next decade.”
Those are high stakes for the embattled three-time Pro Bowl quarterback who learned on Friday that a Houston grand jury would not charge him with any crimes. Watson was facing 10 criminal complaints alleging sexual misconduct and sexual assault during massage sessions. Watson is still facing 22 different civil cases and could be punished by the NFL under its personal conduct policy. The league is conducting its own investigation.
Tampa Bay was initially interested in Watson. But on Sunday night Tom Brady announced he was coming out of his two-month retirement to continue playing for the Buccaneers.
Trade talks around the league for Watson quickly materialized after the ruling. On Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Saints and Panthers have both made offers to the Texans for Watson. He has a no-trade clause and will meet with teams with serious offers before waving it. The Panthers also would want to meet with Watson before finalizing any trade.
It will take at least three first-round picks, a few middle-round selections and maybe a young player to land Watson, a source told The Observer. It’s believed Watson is in outstanding shape and ready to re-establish himself as a top-10 quarterback. Watson has not played in a game since the final week of the 2020 regular season. He led the league in passing yards that year.
Carolina should be comfortable parting with high draft capital but cautious about what (if any) young players it gives up.
“There’s no way I’m giving up Christian McCaffrey. He’s not allowed in the deal” a former executive said. “There are reports of Jeremy Chinn (being traded). I think he’s got huge potential of being an All-Pro kind of guy. I’d rather part with picks and give them three ones and two twos than give up a Jeremy Chinn (or McCaffrey).”
A former league executive told The Observer they would trade Brian Burns (if necessary) before Derrick Brown because “those big guys inside are so hard to find.”
One potential road bump in Watson choosing Carolina is his perception of the Panthers’ organizational stability. Tampa Bay is a year removed from a Super Bowl, has a well-respected head coach, a longtime general manager and one of the league’s most diverse coaching staffs. Even if coach Bruce Arians (69 years old) retires soon, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is considered a rising star. They were considered an option before Brady announced his return.
The Saints had Sean Payton retire but much of their infrastructure — including head coach Dennis Allen, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and general manager Mickey Loomis remain. Financially, it would be difficult for the Saints to make room under the cap for Watson, but not impossible.
Carolina could offer coach Matt Rhule a contract extension to show Watson that the Panthers are a stable organization with top-to-bottom alignment, from ownership to management and head coach. Rhule, who is 10-23 in two seasons coaching Carolina, is considered to be on the hot seat entering Year 3.
The Cleveland Browns are also a team to watch. It’s believed Houston would prefer to trade Watson out of the AFC but the Browns can offer a multitude of picks and quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is viewed as a better asset than Sam Darnold. Cleveland also agreed to a trade for Cowboys No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper, strengthening their case that they are only a quarterback away from a championship.
It’s unclear whether Houston would be interested in acquiring Darnold as part of the trade. In fact, Houston would be doing Carolina a favor by taking on Darnold’s nearly $19 million fifth-year option.
On Monday at noon, the NFL’s legal tampering period begins. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents before the new league year begins on March 16. With free agency here and the draft weeks away, Watson should have a new home soon. A source told The Observer they expect Watson to be traded “within the week.”
This story was originally published March 13, 2022 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Panthers have NFC South competition for Deshaun Watson. The winner controls the division."
