Deshaun Watson landing spots: Which teams could pursue him if he demands a trade?

(RADIO.COM Sports) On Thursday, a report surfaced that Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson spoke to his teammates about possibly requesting a trade from the organization.

Watson, 25, is a top-10 and arguably top-five quarterback in the NFL who has yet to enter the prime of his career. If he were indeed to become available, he'd be the most attractive quarterback whom teams could get their hands on.

Of course, the Texans aren't just going to give someone like that away. So what might the price be? "Three firsts, three seconds and a player” might get the conversation started, NFL scribe Bengamin Allbright tweeted while adding the Texans don't plan on trading Watson.

Yet if Watson is unhappy and wants to be traded, that may force the Texans’ hand a little. And the Texans are obviously going to set the bar unrealistically high to give themselves leverage in any negotiations.

Watson’s future will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks and months, and these are some of the potential teams that could be a fit on the trade market.

If Watson has his say, the Jets probably aren't at the top of his list, as they have a long list of areas to address beyond quarterback. But the Jets are probably the one team that could even come close to the Texans’ reported demands. They have two first-round picks here in 2021, including the No. 2 overall pick. They also hold two first-round picks in 2022. In total, they have 19 picks over the next two years.

The No. 2 overall pick could be attractive to the Texans too, because they don’t pick until the third round – 67th overall – and the second pick would put them in position to draft Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields as a potential Watson replacement.

As for the Jets, they would have to move on from Sam Darnold – which could net them more picks to help compensate from the loss of picks for a potential Watson deal.

Can you imagine a world in which Watson teams up with Bill Belichick? It would immediately put the Patriots right back into the conversation as an AFC playoff contender and, suddenly life after Tom Brady doesn’t seem too bad.

The Patriots have cap space to work with and bring on a contract like Watsons, but like pretty much any team, finding the assets to get him may be difficult. The Patriots don't have an excess amount of draft picks to trade for Watson and already had to forfeit a third-rounder for 2021. If the Patriots could somehow acquire more assets, they would be more than an attractive team for Watson to join.

The Washington Football Team has shown it has a playoff-caliber defense, but what it doesn't have is a franchise quarterback. The Football Team cycled through four different quarterbacks this season, with Alex Smith ultimately settling in the starting role after an incredible journey back from a devastating leg injury.

But Smith is 36 years old and the team waived 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins after a tumultuous tenure, leaving it a void at quarterback. Watson would be an ideal fit for a team that's ready to take the next step in the NFC.

But like the Patriots, the Football Team doesn't have an excess of draft picks to dangle in a potential trade offer.

The Bears have a decision to make on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky this offseason. He's set to become a free agent, and his future with the organization may hinge on who the team’s general manager is once the postseason is over. Should the Bears fire Ryan Pace -- who drafted Trubisky at No. 2 overall in 2017 -- a new general manager could come in and want to address the quarterback situation, perhaps with someone else quickly. With a new top football executive, the Bears could suddenly find themselves in play for someone like Watson.

Similar to other teams, the Bears are limited in resources. The Bears are a tad over the salary cap, so they'd need to shed some salary to fit Watson’s contract. They also don’t have any extra draft picks to unload, so a trade wouldn't come easy in Chicago. It would almost certainly mean moving forward with limited draft capital for the years to come.

The 49ers continue to maintain that Jimmy Garoppolo is their quarterback moving forward, but many around the league aren't buying it. The 29-year-old Garoppolo has never reached his ceiling and has been plagued by injuries.

San Francisco could deal Garoppolo for some extra picks that it could potentially use in another trade to get someone like Watson, but then the question becomes what kind of return could the 49ers get for Garoppolo? They got him for a second-rounder, but his value may have dropped below that.

Still, the 49ers are just a year removed from the Super Bowl and have cap space to work with this offseason. A top-tier quarterback could be the missing piece of the puzzle to get them back in the postseason.

The Steelers and Saints are grouped together because they are both north of the salary cap and both have aging Hall of Fame quarterbacks who could retire at the end of the season. In fact, it seems like a near certainty that the Saints' Drew Brees will hang it up after this year (although many thought the same last year).

The Saints are still built as a Super Bowl contender, and Watson could immediately fit in and pick up right where Brees left off. The same rings true for the Steelers should Ben Roethlisberger retire. He's under contract for just one more year.

Of course, the common denominator in all this is whether either team has the assets to pull off a trade for Watson. They’re no different than anyone not named the Jets, but they do have depth and talent where perhaps adding in a player or two could get the deal done in addition to picks. It may be a longshot, but they would be ideal scenarios for Watson.

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