Denver Broncos should avoid trading for Deshaun Watson

There is a growing chance that Deshaun Watson will be traded.

The 25-year old franchise quarterback for the Houston Texans has been disgruntled with that organization and as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports, he could have played his last game for the team.

That could easily get teams that are looking for an elite quarterback racing to get on the phone with Houston and make a move. You won’t have to go far to see other outlets and sports betting sites listing the Denver Broncos as a potential destination. The team is high on most of those lists as well.

It’s an exciting proposition. Watson is still in the prime of his career and is coming off a season in which he led the entire league in passing yards. He is also a dual-threat guy that can make all of the throws.

Sounds like a great option, right?

This is not to say that trading for Watson would be a bad move, but it is one the Broncos should skip on.

For starters, it would cost at a bare minimum multiple draft picks for the Broncos to obtain Watson in a trade. First-round picks are precious and should not be taken lightly. If you have to give up two of them, or more, plus players and other draft picks, you have to be talking about a very special player.

And this is not to say that Watson is not special. He is. But for that kind of exchange, you almost have to be talking about the best player in the league for it to be considered.

The Broncos are also not just a quarterback away from being a contender. The team has holes all over the defense and could stand to get another playmaker or two on offense.

In four seasons with the Texans, Watson has made the playoffs just twice and has a 1-2 postseason record. He’s had the chance to play with both DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt, two of the best players at their respective positions in the league.

Where does Drew Lock stand with the team?

Finally, let’s not throw Drew Lock off the team and act like he’s that bad just yet.

Lock has made several errors during his young playing career, including some incredibly bad throws. But he has only played about the equivalent of one full season. Have we really seen enough of him already?

The team tried to give Lock as many options as possible this past season. But because of injuries, the offense never realized its full potential. It never came close to doing so.

Sure, it sounds exciting to trade for a guy like Watson. That’s the kind of news that sends shockwaves around the league and makes the Broncos a “must see” team. But that doesn’t mean it will translate to success on the field.

Having to give up so many good draft picks combined with the fact that you would be throwing in the towel so quickly on Lock makes this a deal the team should pass up.