Let the bidding begin: Texans’ QB Watson NOT indicted … A grand jury in Houston declined to indict embattled Houston QB Deshaun Watson after following a police investigation brought on by lawsuits filed by 22 women who have accused him of sexual assault. Watson still has to deal with multiple civil suits stemming from the allegations, but other teams around the league say they are prepared to make an offer for him once the possibility of criminal charges was over. Indeed, there were rumblings that as many as ten teams are prepared to at least kick the tires on a potential deal with the Texans who are reportedly still seeking three first round picks and 2-3 starting level veterans to make the deal for Watson who did not play at all last fall while the legal proceedings played out. Teams that are expected to get into the bidding include Carolina, Seattle, and Tampa Bay among others with the Buccaneers considered to be maybe the early favorite. Remember too that Watson still controls his own destiny to the extent that he still has a no-trade contract meaning he can block a deal to a team that he doesn’t want to go to and it is believed he’d like to go a team like Tampa Bay that can compete right away rather a rebuilding franchise. Indeed, it’s also possible that more than one team with an established QB like Cleveland, Tennessee and Minnesota that isn’t sure they can win it all with their current guy could also jump into the mix. However, one team that apparently won’t be in the bidding this time around is Miami which appeared to be close at times last fall to landing Watson as the Dolphins have indicated that they are happy enough with Tua Tagovailoa these days and won’t be chasing Watson this time around. Stay tuned!
