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Deshaun Watson finds himself the belle of the ball at this point in the NFL offseason.
Many quarterback-needy teams are still searching for answers at the NFL's most important position. The Carolina Panthers have reportedly emerged as the team most confident in their chances of acquiring Deshaun Watson.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler released a column Sunday noting that the Panthers feel good about their odds. Fowler said:
"Carolina seemed like Watson's backup option to Miami last year, a viable fallback if a deal with the Dolphins fell through. Now that Miami is out, the Panthers will likely see a clear runway. I'm told they are at least confident in their chances, with good young players on defense and playmakers on offense."
He added:
"There's trade buzz surrounding running back Christian McCaffrey, but I'm told the Panthers would be even more inclined to keep CMC around with Watson in the fold, to maximize his ability to win.”
The most significant part of Fowler's column was that the Panthers were inclined to keep superstar running back Cristian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey's name has been brought up in trade rumors recently. But the Panthers need to keep enough talent on their roster for Watson to consider waiving his no-trade clause.
The 26-year-old Watson is a borderline top-five quarterback and is on a relatively team-friendly contract with respect to quarterback salaries for the next four seasons. If the Panthers can land him, it will be a step in the right direction for a franchise that's experienced four straight losing seasons.
Panthers have offered Houston Texans deal for Deshaun Watson
The accuracy of Fowler's reporting was reinforced just hours after his column dropped. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Panthers and New Orleans Saints have officially sent the Houston Texans offers for Deshaun Watson.
Before a trade occurs, the former Clemson product will meet with both teams. Watson will likely want to hear what each team intends to do to ensure they're contenders.
In Watson's last season in the NFL, he recorded an impressive 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also threw for a career-high 4,823 yards in his first season without DeAndre Hopkins.
The 26-year-old has as much arm talent as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. He also has running abilities like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray.
If the Panthers trade for Watson, they'll become dangerous in an open NFC South.
