Several teams are looking to trade for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, and the New Orleans Saints are at the forefront. Distasteful as I find the idea of the Saints adding someone with 22 credible accusations of sexual misconduct, I’ve still got a job to do. So let’s see what a Saints trade for Watson might look like.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the price for Watson has not changed over the last year: Houston wants a package built around three future first round draft picks. That’s just the foundation. If the Saints or any other team want to separate from the pack, they’ll have to stack more assets to reach a deal with the Texans.
So we’re starting with New Orleans’ first rounder in 2022 (No. 18 overall) as well as their first-round pick in 2023 and 2024. Houston would likely want a pair of second rounders in addition to that. And then, based off the Denver Broncos’ trade for Russell Wilson, New Orleans would have to add a couple of players to the mix. As was the case for Denver, maybe the Saints can also negotiate a pick swap in the later rounds (the Broncos got back a 2022 fourth rounder in exchange for a fifth round pick).
