Texans trade rumors: Will Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield switch teams?

Will Deshaun Watson be joining the Browns in a trade involving Baker Mayfield?

Sunday is a day full of NFL trade rumors involving the Houston Texans, Deshaun Watson and now the Cleveland Browns. Eventually some sort of decision will be made involving the Texans quarterback and a trade, but the newest trade rumor about Watson has him possibly going to the Browns.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweeted Sunday about the Browns “exploring a trade for Deshaun Watson.” Below is the full tweet by Cabot:

The Browns have the draft capital, and this weekend they finalized a trade with the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Amari Cooper, where all they had to give up were a third round pick and the two teams exchanged sixth round picks.

In the article about Deshaun Watson and the Browns “exploring a possible trade” Cabot gives a history of how Cleveland has worked with players in the past who have had issues off-the-field and how those players have fared since joining Cleveland.

Now for Watson with some of his legal issues behind him, the Texans quarterback, who was the NFL passing leader in 2020, now can work with Houston and agree with a trade destination. With the Browns adding Cooper, will that make Deshaun Watson’s decision a little easier?

Remember Cooper with the Cowboys in ’21 totaled 68 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, and Watson would have to love playing with a wide receiver as talented as Cooper.

Would Deshaun Watson deal include multiple first round draft picks?

For the Browns to gain the services of Watson they will most likely have their current quarterback Baker Mayfield in the deal, and Cleveland would need to add another current NFL player in the deal as well, plus the all-important first round draft choices.

If the Browns were to include Mayfield in a Watson trade, who knows what will happen with the Texans’ starting quarterback situation? Davis Mills was the starter for most of the ’21 season in Houston as a rookie, and will be in the mix at quarterback when training camp happens.

Mayfield’s current contract has him with the Browns for the ’22 season as he’s scheduled to make almost $19 million in ’22, then he’ll be unrestricted free agent. Mayfield battled injuries last season but continued to play as the Browns were in playoff contention late in the season.

As for possible draft capital the Browns could offer the Texans in a trade for Deshaun Watson, Cleveland has the No. 13 pick for the ’22 NFL Draft, and their second round pick comes in at No. 44 overall.

Future first round picks would be a must in any trade for Deshaun Watson, but this is a big moment in the trade rumors for Watson as it adds another team to the mix. Other teams that have also said to have shown interest are the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Carolina Panthers.

Once a Deshaun Watson trade is eventually made the rebuild of the Texans should be in a good place with the possible draft capital and players they will receive in return, which is what is most important for the Texans this offseason.