With the flurry of interest out there over the likely trading of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, I’ve seen a lot of fans express concerns over a “mortgaging of the future” due to the cost of such a trade. I think that line of thinking is actually a very short-term view of things and perhaps we should look at things from a little longer type view.
Let’s look at what it would likely cost to get Watson in Denver. We’re talking two first round picks and maybe even two second round picks, then throw in a starter-type player or two.
That’s a hefty price and nine times out of ten I’d say hell no to that kind of trade. The only time it makes sense is for a quarterback and if that quarterback is truly elite. Is Deshaun Watson elite?
Let’s take a look at his stats.
Deshaun Watson Career Stats
| Year | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Rush | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Rush | Yds | TD |
| 2017 | 6 | 126 | 204 | 61.8 | 1699 | 19 | 8 | 36 | 269 | 2 |
| 2018 | 16 | 345 | 505 | 68.3 | 4165 | 26 | 9 | 99 | 551 | 5 |
| 2019 | 15 | 333 | 495 | 67.3 | 3852 | 26 | 12 | 82 | 413 | 7 |
| 2020 | 16 | 382 | 544 | 70.2 | 4823 | 33 | 7 | 90 | 444 | 3 |
Those look elite enough for me. So if the quarterback is elite then you can assume he’ll likely be the Broncos starting quarterback (and a good one!) for the next 10-12 years being that Watson is only 25 years old.
So given the Broncos would be set at the most important position in the league for the next decade, how would trading away four draft picks and a few low end starters be a mortgaging against the future? If anything, the last five years have been a foreclosure of the future with the constant issues at quarterback this franchise has dealt with.
I say go “all in” if Deshaun Watson is available. It’ll put the last five years of toiling away without a franchise quarterback behind us and allow George Paton to craft a winning organization around an elite quarterback.
What do you say Broncos Country?