3 wild trade destinations for J.J. Watt

The Texans aren’t interested in trading J.J. Watt. Does that mean he’s not going anywhere?

The Houston Texans’ 1-6 start has the team looking towards a fire sale before the NFL trade deadline. While wide receiver Will Fuller could be a rental or linebacker Zach Cunningham help stabilize a team’s future, they are top commodities this draft season. Instead, a name like J.J. Watt most certainly would bring in the price one’s looking for.

According to reports, the Texans have made everyone available expect Watt, Deshaun Watson, Laremy Tunsil and second-year tackle Tytus Howard. Even with the rapid declining of the three-time Defensive Player of the Year’s production, it’s hard to see Watt leaving NRG Stadium after all the good he’s done for the city of Houston.

That being said, everyone is available if the offer is good enough. The average second-round pick won’t cut it for the face of the franchise, meaning teams are going to cough up top dollar for his services. Any team wanting to go all-in for 2020 has to make this a priority.

Which teams could trade for defensive end J.J. Watt at the trade deadline?   

This may seem asinine that the Texans trade both their star players to the same team, but it is plausible. With the Cardinals in a heated race for a chance at the postseason, they need a defensive piece to keep them thriving in the NFC West.

Although the team reunited with Markus Golden, that’s not enough of a pass rush to be successful. Arizona currently has tallied only 18 sacks and will be playing without Chandler Jones for the remainder of the year. Watt’s three sacks are limited, but there’s no telling if he could bolster those numbers in the desert.

Unlike the DeAndre Hopkins trade, this will cost Steve Keim a first-rounder. The team would also need to free some cap space in order to take on Watt’s $17.5 million in 2021. Still, imagine Watt, Jones and Golden as a potential trio next season to build off for the future. Scary thought, right?