Aaron Wilson of PFN reports that the Saints have emerged as an “extremely serious” contender to trade for Texans QB Deshaun Watson and have submitted contract proposals for Watson.
The Saints are among the teams in the mix to trade for Watson along with the Panthers, Seahawks and others.
Wilson adds that Saints GM Mickey Loomis is determined to land Watson and is prepared to make aggressive, roster-shaking moves to pull this deal off.
According to Wilson, Loomis is expected to try to meet with Watson once they officially receive permission from the Texans.
The expectation is that Watson will prioritize the best opportunity to win and the fact that he has a no-trade clause should help him land where he wants.
Even so, the Texans still want a trade package that consists of three first-round picks and other draft capital and players.
Several teams have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Watson in recent days including the Panhters, Browns, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Eagles, Steelers and Vikings.
Watson, 26, was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson by the Texans. He signed a four-year, $13.854 million with the Texans that included a fifth-year option around $17.3 million for the 2021 season.
The Texans signed Watson to a four-year deal worth as much as $177 million heading into the 2020 season, paying him $39 million a year.
In 2020, Watson appeared in all 16 games for the Texans and completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns.
We’ll have more on Watson as the news is available.
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