The Denver Broncos are set to have a quarterback competition between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater this summer.
Yet, much of the talk in Broncos Country remains around the idea of trading for one of the league’s elite passers. Could Aaron Rodgers or Deshaun Watson eventually end up in orange and blue?
Though the idea of trading for Watson has all but died at this point, Broncos safety Kareem Jackson brought that talk back to the forefront by stating that his former Houston Texans teammate would like to play for Denver.
Of course, the more recent and much hotter rumor since the night the NFL Draft kicked off is that of Rodgers potentially coming to the Mile High City. If the Broncos were to somehow have their pick of the two players, which would be the better move?
In the case of Watson, he is far younger than Rodgers at just 25 years of age. Rodgers is 37. So obviously, a move for Watson would be one that could bring much more potential long-term success. The keyword there is potential since Watson has yet to really win anything.
You can point to him being on bad teams, but just about any quarterback could have gone 4 -12 in Houston last year.
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Rodgers has only won one Super Bowl, but he generally has his team in contention each year. He is also the reigning MVP of the league.
On the other hand, recent issues off the field for Watson could drive the Texans’ asking price down, making him much more affordable than Rodgers, who could have an exorbitant price tag due to just winning the MVP award and having a Hall-of-Fame career to this point.
It makes for an interesting debate.
In Watson, the Broncos would be getting one of the league’s best young quarterbacks, one who is mobile, athletic, and can make all the throws. He would also likely be cheaper than Rodgers.[
In Rodgers, the Broncos would receive one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the league, though he is likely toward the end of his career, much like when the Broncos brought Peyton Manning over to Denver.
So if you were George Paton and you made the decision that neither Drew Lock or Teddy Bridgewater is going to cut it this season, would you take the potential upside of the younger Watson, who you could get much cheaper, or the proven pedigree of Rodgers, with the hope that he could bring what Manning brought to Denver, even if it costs an arm and a leg?