One of the NFL stories that ramped up over the final weekend of August preseason action was the possibility that Houston could be moving closer to trading superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Rumors and reports flew around the internet that the Dolphins and Panthers were the most likely landing spots for Watson, if any team is willing to meet Houston’s reported asking price of three first-round picks and a pair of second-round picks.
Certainly a Watson trade would send shockwaves through the NFL less than two weeks from the kickoff of the 2021 season, not just because of his star power but also because the quarterback remains embroiled in an off-field issue that involves civil lawsuits from nearly two-dozen massage therapists as well as legal investigations regarding alleged misconduct by the former Clemson star.
Buried in a Pro Football Talk report regarding teams potentially balking at the Texans massive asking price for a quarterback whose NFL future could be in jeopardy/doubt, is a potential connection to Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
According to PFT, Belichick’s perception of any trade could influence Houston GM Nick Caserio’s decisions. Caserio, of course was an assistant to Belichick from 2001-2020 both as a coach and in the personnel department in New England, where he rose to director of player personnel before moving on to the Texans this past winter.
“There’s another important factor to remember,” Pro Football Talk reports.” New Texans G.M. Nick Caserio, like many former Bill Belichick lieutenants, won’t want to do a deal that Belichick will regard as a bad one. And, yes, that’s the kind of sway that Belichick holds over his former employees.”
PFT also goes on to note that Belichick would obviously prefer that Watson not land in the AFC East with the Dolphins where the Patriots would have to deal with him twice a year, assuming the quarterback remains an active NFL player moving forward past all his current off-field issues.
Caserio may be off on his own running the Texans and trying to rebuild Houston’s roster, but according to PFT the first-year GM may actually still care what Belichick thinks about the work he is doing.