Adam Schefter Pushing Possibility of Deshaun Watson to the Eagles
By Liam McKeone
The Deshaun Watson situation in Houston is in limbo and will remain that way until Watson's off-the-field legal issues are settled. There is no timetable on that, and comes with the possibility of a suspension handed down by the NFL even once it's over.
After all that happens, it remains a possibility that Watson will hit the trade block and the Texans will look to the highest bidder for the best possible return. Adam Schefter has been speaking on that topic over the last few days, and has consistently pointed to one probable suitor in particular as the team to watch: the Philadelphia Eagles.
First, on Monday, Schefter went on Cris Collinsworth's podcast and expressed his belief that Watson will never again wear a Texans uniform. Two days later, the insider appeared on 97.5 The Fanatic with John Kincade for his weekly spot and said the Eagles are the best-equipped team to pull off a Watson trade:
“The Eagles are more equipped to make a run at DeShaun Watson than any other team out there,” Schefter told the morning show. “And if you put DeShaun Watson on the Philadelphia Eagles they become a Super Bowl contender right away.”
Obviously DeShaun Watson has legal troubles right now after a flurry of sexual assault allegations have come out. Adam pointed out though that this was the same organization that gave Michael Vick his first chance when he was released from prison.
“I'm operating under the assumption this will be settled. And when he is deemed able to play, the Philadelphia Eagles will be waiting.”
Schefter then appeared on Get Up on Thursday morning and voiced the exact same narrative: the Eagles, loaded up with some high extra picks after their draft-day maneuvering, have the will and the way to land Watson should he become available anytime soon.
It does make sense. The Eagles have something in Jalen Hurts, but they would be very lucky to get even 75 percent of Watson's production out of the 2020 fourth-round pick at any point in his career. They have the aforementioned draft picks, owning all of their own selections along with the Dolphins' 2022 first-rounder and either a first or second-round pick from the Colts, depending on the snap count of Carson Wentz. The organization resides in a market that would not take kindly to a prolonged rebuild with a GM prone to taking big swings. It lines up from a football perspective perfectly.
Fellow NFL insider Peter King identified the Eagles as a probable landing spot soon after this year's draft. He also named the Panthers, who seem like the only true competitor to the Eagles in any Watson sweepstakes at this point. The Dolphins were a very popular pick pre-draft but now their well of first-rounders has just about run dry. Carolina has a bevy of young talent on the defensive end and their new owner, David Tepper, has given indications he'd be willing to sign off on selling the farm to launch the team into another competitive stratosphere. If Houston is looking for sheer quantity of picks, then Philly will be the spot. If they want picks and talent in equal measure, the Panthers can definitely put together a competitive offer.
We could be a long way off from any of this becoming reality. The NFL world, like all of us, must wait