What Deshaun Watson would bring to the Miami Dolphins
By Brian Miller
Deshaun Watson to the Miami Dolphins rumors just won’t go away. Is it time that we start paying at least a little attention to the prospect that he could be the next Miami Dolphins quarterback?
It’s hard to believe that the Dolphins would want to part ways with Tua Tagovailoa after only nine games. It could be argued that the Cardinals ditched Josh Rosen after one season and haven’t looked back. Tua, however, is not Josh Rosen and frankly, he has shown enough to believe that he can play at this level.
On the other side of that argument, however, is that Watson is already NFL elite. A top quarterback who can change a franchise. Yet, while I write this, I can’t help wonder why he couldn’t get the Texans deep into the playoffs. They had a good offensive line, wide receivers, running backs, and a defense that was pretty good as well. Aside from last year. Maybe it was just coaching after all.
I can’t get excited over a potential trade for Watson because I know it will be expensive. I know it could be so costly that the Dolphins can’t get him, playmakers, to help. I know that it could cost the Dolphins Xavien Howard and a slew of draft capital that Miami was building their future on.
I also can’t excited over the prospect of a bonafide elite quarterback leading the Dolphins because that would be something unseen in Miami since Dan Marino and, well, we all know this doesn’t always pan out. So I have to temper any enthusiasm that might be lingering in the recesses of my brain.
What I can do is look at what Deshaun Watson would bring to Miami. Instantly.
For starters, he would be the best QB Miami has had since Marino. A legit signal-caller who has a cannon for an arm, capable of running the ball when needed, a great field of vision, and elite level accuracy.
Watson is also a leader and entering the Dolphins locker room for the first time, he would bring that leadership with him. The players know him, there is no unknown. It is akin to Ryan Fitzpatrick walking into the room. There are no questions about who the leader is. It’s Watson.
Whether the Dolphins become a legit contender in the league is another question. Would Watson have led the Dolphins to the postseason last year? Probably. The Dolphins only needed one more win.
Still, it is hard to know what exactly Watson is going to cost Miami if he does ask for a trade and the Texans look for it. There will be a lot of competition for him and while the Dolphins have the draft picks and maybe even the personnel to make a move, they still don’t control it and at some point, they have to set a limit on what they are going to give up for him.
Make no mistake, if this actually does happen, the Dolphins are going to pay a price they have never had to pay for a player before. It will make the Ricky Williams trade look like a swap of picks. That being said, Watson might just be the game-changer Miami needs. I’m not quite there yet, but the more I hear NFL insiders talk about it, the more I have to believe there is more than smoke coming from the fire pit.