Our Tom E. Curran said it best: Deshaun Watson being traded to the New England Patriots this offseason is highly unlikely.
But Pats fans can still dream, right?
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The Houston Texans quarterback reportedly wants to play for a new team in 2021, which means there will be plenty of speculation and hypothetical trades until a blockbuster deal goes through this offseason. ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote a column Wednesday ranking NFL teams' probability of trading for Watson, and New England was listed with the fifth-best chances.
Barnwell also pondered a hypothetical Patriots-Texans trade of his own. Here's what he has in mind:
Patriots send: 15th overall pick and third-round compensatory selection in 2021 draft, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, CB J.C. Jackson, WR N'Keal Harry
Texans send: 2022 sixth-round pick, QB Deshaun Watson, TE Kahale Warring
New England Patriots
More from Barnwell:
"Texans fans who are already upset about the Patriots-ization of their franchise would be even more furious to see their star quarterback head to New England. The Patriots might have to go a little over the odds, then, to get a deal done. ...
"Jarrett Stidham, a fourth-round pick in 2019, hasn't looked like a viable answer. Belichick is already the most successful coach in modern league history, but he isn't getting any younger. Neither is team owner Robert Kraft. Their quickest path to another Super Bowl is getting a superstar quarterback."
The Patriots would say goodbye to cornerback J.C. Jackson, who tallied the second-most interceptions in the league this season with nine. They'd also part ways with 2019 first-round pick N'Keal Harry, who has been a disappointment early in his career.
In addition, New England would send their first pick in this year's draft (No. 15 overall), and three additional picks to Houston in exchange for Watson, a sixth-rounder, and tight end Kahale Warring. That's quite a haul, but would it be worth it?
Obviously, this kind of move would be extremely uncharacteristic of Bill Belichick and the Patriots. But given the uncertainty at the QB position going forward, perhaps Belichick would be willing to get out of his comfort zone to bring in the 25-year-old superstar.
Even if New England traded for Watson, it'd still have to address a number of glaring question marks on the roster. Regardless, if a deal for a player of Watson's caliber is put on the table, Belichick and Co. would be silly not to consider.