Deshaun Watson rumors: NFC North team a sleeper to land Watson

Could a new landing destination be emerging for Deshaun Watson?

When one thinks of the top landing spots for Deshaun Watson, Carolina and Miami come to mind. However, there’s a new team that’s reportedly entering the fray. Here come the Minnesota Vikings of all teams. Jordan Schultz of TheGameDay.com declared that he believes the purple people eaters are the biggest sleeper to land Watson.

As crazy as this idea sounds, there are two main reasons Minnesota would try to obtain Watson. The first is to keep their star wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, in a Vikings uniform for as long as possible.

Secondly, with the potential departure of Aaron Rodgers, the NFC North could be wide open. After the Packers ruled the division for nearly the last 30 years with an iron fist, their salary cap troubles could spiral them back to the 1970s-1980s when they were not very good at all.

Could Deshaun Watson be shipped to Minnesota for Kirk Cousins and more?

A trade for Kirk Cousins was explored here at Toro Times during the regular season. Watson and Cousins have only a $5M difference in their cap hit (Cousins 45, Watson 40). So it’s not like Houston would be incurring a bigger burden with Cousins on the roster.

In reality, Cousins wouldn’t be in the plans for Houston if they do trade Watson to Minnesota. Trading for an offensive lineman or one of their star linebackers (Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr). It would also be some ironic symbolism as the Herschel Walker trade involved the Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys.

The Vikings have their first and second-round pick through 2025, but it’s unlikely that a new GM would trade all of that away and bank their future on Watson when the world doesn’t know if he will play football again.

The chances of Minnesota getting Watson are low, but we’ve seen crazier trades happen with the Houston Texans franchise.