Three reasons why the Miami Dolphins should avoid Deshaun Watson
For months, rumors have sparked up ever since Deshaun Watson requested to be traded from the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, the Miami Dolphins have been at the center of these trade rumors.
The rumors continued on Saturday, where new reports came out that the Dolphins and Carolina Panthers are the top two teams looking to get Watson. Despite the Panthers being mentioned as well, the new rumor also mentioned that the Dolphins are actually now the front runner to land Watson.
Thread. Sources tell @yahoosports the #Dolphins have emerged as the frontrunner in trade discussions with the #Texans for QB Deshaun Watson. The Texans are seeking 3 first-round picks and 2 second-round picks in negotiations, according to a team that dropped out of trade talks.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) August 28, 2021
It is no surprise to anyone that Watson is among the top superstar Quarterbacks in the NFL. By adding him, the Dolphins may instantly become a Super Bowl contender for the 2021 season. But, I will point out why it is more of a bad thing if the Dolphins do try to trade for Watson.
One reason, and arguably the biggest reason is because of the draft compensation that the Dolphins would have to give up in the trade. The Texans are reportedly asking for at least three first-round draft picks, and two second-round picks.
Giving up this much would hurt the Dolphins more than it will help. They would be assuming that the majority of the team now would be good enough to get them to the top. By giving away these draft picks, the Dolphins would be struggling to add some talent with upside outside of free agency. In fact, Watson would also take away some cap money that the Dolphins currently have to spend for many seasons to come.
The second reason is that the Dolphins already have Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. Yes, he did struggle in his rookie season, but he was still coming off of the major injury he suffered in college. Tagovailoa also admitted in the offseason that he never truly understood the whole playbook at all during last year.
What we have seen out of Tagovailoa in training camp and preseason should be enough to make the Dolphins trust the current situation. He looks like a completely different quarterback than the one we saw last year. With Tagovailoa being much more confident and improved heading into his second season, the Dolphins have the talent to compete for a playoff spot.
The third reason why the Dolphins should not trade for Watson is because of the off-field issues. Earlier this offseason, news broke that there are 23 sexual assault lawsuits being filed against him. According to reports, many women came out and said that they have been sexually assaulted by Watson.
The allegations and lawsuits are also now being investigated by the FBI. Until the situation is cleared up, it is unknown how long or even if Watson is allowed to be playing in the NFL. With these off-field issues, it makes it a huge risk to trade for Watson right now.
It would not be a good idea for the Dolphins to trade away key pieces and a ton of draft picks to get Watson. They have worked so hard to get this team to where they are now. The front office has already showed that they trust Tagovailoa by drafting him 5th overall.
Coming off of a 10-6 season in 2020 along with the offseason additions, this team is ready to compete for the playoffs. The Dolphins should continue with what they have built and stick with Tagovailoa who is in line for a big leap in his second season.