And quarterbacks always seem to get the most attention.
Some time ago, I said that if Deandre Hopkins let the Texans, then the entire infrastructure there was poised to crumble. Now we watch a new drama unfold in Houston with Deshawn Watson.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
I didn’t know how drastically wins would shift, but it just didn’t make any sense to disrupt the success that was already proven with the upswing to double-digit wins. Then this huge void was created, and the Texans were right back at 4 and 12. Naturally, Arizona enjoyed a three-win increase with Hopkins, but it ended up as a season lost for the Texans.
Would you expect Watson’s numbers to change? I didn’t. I told a family member the only thing likely to change was the win/loss ratio. That’s what happened.
Now, what will happen with Watson? Miami has two first-round picks, the New York Jets have two first-round picks, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have two first-round picks, including the first overall pick. The AFC East has a chance to get exciting, just like the AFC North, who had three 11 plus win teams with the Steelers, Ravens, and Browns.
Watson has a no-trade clause, which means he has to approve the trade, and the last report I read said that Watson is only interested in Miami as a destination. Since the Dolphins have two first-round picks this year, they could conceivably make that switch.
Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (photo, Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports & The Atlantic)
We also wonder whether Trevor Lawrence will really enter the draft to become a Jacksonville Jaguar or if he’s unsatisfied with the desire to win another national collegiate title. I think if he played in the title game this year and won, no doubt, he would enter the draft immediately. But being left out this year makes it likely that he will stay for one last chance at the college title.
That means either Zach Wilson or Justin Fields could be destined for Jacksonville, and we would have another one and two quarterback top pick a draft class. I don’t know what the Dolphins do then, and the Patriots have a lot to work on.
NFL football just became more difficult waters to navigate, and all the teams are set to improve. The Patriots, though, look a bit behind looking in.
