Miami Dolphins moved on from Deshaun Watson but it was pretty close
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins came a lot closer to trading for Deshaun Watson than we initially knew and it came down to the civil not criminal cases.
Deshaun Watson wanted to be a member of the Miami Dolphins. Whether that was because of Brian Flores or something else we won’t know but he almost got his wish.
It is hard to believe that we are still hearing about this in the news. Maybe this is just another in a long line of Dolphins bashing that the media love to make. It will get worse with every single victory or playoff appearance that Watson takes the Browns to.
What we knew about the situation was based on a lot of speculation and rumors but Watson’s attorney has made some comments as to how close Watson was to being a Miami Dolphins quarterback.
Speaking with the media, Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said that Watson was very close to being a Dolphins but Stephen Ross wanted a few guarantees first.
Ross apparently was willing to overlook the legal stuff and throw caution to the wind and make the trade with Houston. Miami at the time was the only team willing to do so. Ross was willing to risk the potential NFL suspension and was willing to risk the criminal charges. He wasn’t willing, apparently, to sit on the civil lawsuits.
Hardin said that Ross wanted the 23 women who filed civil cases against Watson to settle their cases and sign non-disclosure agreements but that wasn’t going to happen before the trade deadline and some women refused to do so. That was the nail in the coffin for Miami’s interest in Watson.
Fast forward to now and Watson is in Cleveland after a mega trade with the Texans. The NFL investigation into the allegations has been completed and discipline from a third party arbitrator will decide the discipline. Roger Goodell under the current CBA has no control over player discipline. The criminal chargers were dropped over the summer but a 24th women has come forward and will file a civil suit sometime next week.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are moving forward with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback but what happens after this season is up to how well Tua plays. Miami was willing to risk it all for a top 5 QB talent but passed in the end. Will Ross regret that move or will Tua give him reason to smile having made the right decision?
In reality, through all of this, Tua is the one who can put it all to rest. If he plays well, leads Miami to the playoffs, consistently, no one is going to care that Watson is not a Dolphins QB.