Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio’s asking price for quarterback Deshaun Watson was reportedly pretty high back in early summer. Months later it apparently hasn’t changed one bit.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Caserio sought a combination of six draft picks and NFL players in any trade for Watson several months ago, and is continuing to ask for that much as the season gets fully underway.
Teams have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Watson, but they’ve balked at the high price. According to Schefter, “no team is willing to meet Caserio’s asking price without attaching conditions to the picks,” almost certainly due to Watson’s current legal situation surrounding the multiple allegations and lawsuits that have been filed against him.
Allegations against Watson haven’t dropped asking price
Beginning in March, more than 20 women accused Watson of sexual assault and misconduct during massage appointments. He’s facing 22 active civil lawsuits related to those allegations and is currently under investigation by law enforcement, which could lead to criminal charges. He’s also being investigated by the NFL, which could result in a fine or a suspension.
Things already weren’t great between Watson and the Texans before all that surfaced. Watson was deeply unhappy with the direction of the franchise (which started the previous year with the DeAndre Hopkins trade) and reportedly felt he wasn’t being listened to by the higher-ups. Then the organization proved it wasn’t listening to him by hiring David Culley as head coach and declining to interview any of Watson’s suggestions.
Watson wanted out of Houston before he was accused of sexual assault, but Caserio’s asking price apparently didn’t drop after the allegations were made public. And the combination of serious (possibly criminal) allegations and an astronomical asking price hasn’t stopped teams from thinking about adding him. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins have reportedly sniffed around a Watson trade in recent months.
There’s been sniffing, but no one has latched on yet. And that makes more than a little sense considering how much baggage Watson has and how much Caserio is reportedly asking for him. But the Texans don’t appear to be dropping their price. At the moment, they seem perfectly content with their plan: keep Watson on the roster without playing him at all this season while waiting for any team to meet their asking price.