Are The Arizona Cardinals Now A Potential Landing Spot For Deshaun Watson?

The Houston Texans, if nothing else, certainly keep us on our toes. And the Deshaun Watson drama (trauma?) is no different. Crazy trades in recent years have seen Houston pay Jadeveon Clowney to leave for Seattle and kick DeAndre Hopkins to the desert for a backup running back. Now the recent release of J.J. Watt has led to the All-World defensive lineman reuniting with Hopkins in the Valley of the Sun. At this point, with the Texans, we should all just expect the unexpected.

What if Deshaun Watson wants to re-join his teammates in Arizona? Sure, the Cardinals have up-and-comer Kyler Murray under center, but who wouldn’t trade him for Deshaun Watson?

• Imagine what Watson could do with DeAndre Hopkins on one side and legendary Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald on the other. Fitzgerald is at the end of the road, but having Watson would reinvigorate the All-Pro for one last run at Super Bowl glory. The Cardinals have never had an offense like that. Even when Kurt Warner was there and they lost the super bowl by one interception...

For Watson, it makes a lot of sense. Rejoining his teammates, landing with a franchise that, since Michael Bidwell has taken over the family business, is dedicated to winning. Living in Scottsdale, a desert Mecca for professional athletes - what’s not to love from Watson’s point of view?

• Bill Bidwell, the previous owner of the Arizona Cardinals, was the epitome of an absentee owner for a very long time. Bidwell was oft characterized as a rich man who treated his football team like a Rolex - just something to show off to his wealthy friends. His son, Michael, however, took a huge interest in the team. Through his efforts, the Cardinals were able to move from ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium to a state of the art facility in nearby Glendale, Arizona. The younger Bidwell pushed for marquee talent, landing former Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith, which immediately resulted in ticket sales skyrocketing. He then engineered the team’s first Super Bowl season—101 years after they were founded. Talk about a championship drought.

In many ways, Bidwell is the anti-Cal McNair. There are no reports of Bidwell sitting on his office floor playing Minecraft. There are no reports of questionable confidants rising to power through influence and manipulated nepotism. There is no mass exodus of starters trying to get as far away from the organization as possible. Michael Bidwell is everything Cardinals fans want and deserve. He’s the sort of owner Houston fans want and deserve.

• While the Cardinals don’t hold quite the treasure trove of draft capital the Miami Dolphins or New York Jets do, they could still put together an enticing trade for Watson. For example:

Houston gets:

• Kyler Murray
• Cardinals 2021 1st & 3rd round picks
• Cardinals 2022 1st round pick
• Cardinals 2023 2nd round pick

Arizona gets:

• Deshaun Watson

While it’s easy to say “Hey, Deshaun is worth way more than that,” this is the team that sent the best receiver in the league to the Cardinals for an overpriced, over-the-hill running back. Thanks, Jack! Expect Cardinals general manager Steve Kiem to get over on Houston in any trade talks.

Before we go down the “Nick Caserio is smarter than Bill O’Brien” road, Houston’s new GM has already released J.J. Watt, Nick Martin, and Duke Johnson—all guys former Texans GM Rick Smith would have at least traded for something in the form of late round draft picks. There were extenuating circumstances with Watt, but someone would have given up a sixth or seventh round selection for Martin and possibly the same for Johnson.

Common sense tells a trade like this won’t happen, but for Texans fans, these are confusing times. Expect the unexpected, and expect it to hurt. You won’t be disappointed.