Why the Buccaneers are emerging as favorites to get Deshuan Watson
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers and Deshaun Watson make more sense than the other options.
The Deshaun Watson news yesterday sent shockwaves throughout the NFL. Discussions about what that means, the looming civil trial, and whether or not Watson should actually be allowed to play in the NFL abounded. As many of us expected, the Buccaneers were at the center of these discussions.
It is important to remember that not being charged criminally does not mean that Watson did nothing wrong. It also does not mean that the NFL won’t take action of their own against Watson.
Regardless, plenty of teams, including the Buccaneers, are very interested in going after one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
And, after the initial round of rumors has subsided, the Bucs look like they are leading the pack as for what makes the most sense.
The other teams that appear to be in the hunt for Watson are the Saints, Panthers, Steelers, Seahawks, and Browns.
From a Bucs standpoint, they are in a very good position to make a case over all of these teams.
For starters, Watson is one of the few players in the league with a no-trade clause. That essentially makes him a free agent in many regards, so above all else, this decision comes down to where he wants to play. The Bucs may not have the capital that some of their counterparts do, but the Texans aren’t the ones with the leverage.
With Watson essentially being a free agent, the Buccaneers as a team make a better case than all of the above teams.
The opponents in the NFC South have new head coaches, less weapons, and why Watson would choose to play for Matt Rhule above any of the other options is beyond us.
Moving West, the Seahawks also make very little sense from a fit standpoint. Pete Carroll is not a great coach, especially for quarterbacks, and the entire roster is moving towards a rebuild. Watson would run into the same issues that Russell Wilson did, and going into a scheme that wants to lean on the run is now hot Watson will make a statement as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
The Steelers make a bit more sense from a coaching standpoint, but their scheme and weapons still fall hilariously flat when compared to the Bucs.
Finally, the Browns seem to just be another team doing their best to look at every option to compete in a difficult division, but it is still unlikely that they would move on from Baker Mayfield.
This leaves the Buccaneers as the team with the best offensive weapons, offensive line, and coaching staff from an offensive perspective. Watson would get to play alongside Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich, two very accomplished and well-respected coaches, and they would absolutely put Watson in the best position to win in the short term and build his case as one of the best in the business.
Watson is a clear upgrade for the Bucs over anyone they have on the roster and would easily keep them in Super Bowl contention. If Deshaun Watson does want to play in Tampa, which he should, this deal is a very real possibility.
Trending. Buccaneers and controversial quarterback option have mutual need. light
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