Patriots: Latest Deshaun Watson buzz will make Pats Nation drool

The start of NFL free agency is just five days away and the New England Patriots are still searching for a starting quarterback.

That won’t instill confidence in fans, and understandably so, but it shouldn’t be a huge concern as the Patriots are reportedly exhausting all their options on the QB front.

With that in mind, it’s likely that they won’t conclude their quest for at least several more weeks.

After all, a lot can change between now and the next month as far as the quarterback market is concerned.

The latest buzz confirms New England is making the right call by letting everything fall into place with the start of the legal tampering period fast approaching.

NFL Network insider Jim Trotter recently spoke with Houston Texans head coach David Culley, and the main takeaway from their conversation is that Deshaun Watson will be traded this offseason despite the organization’s reported unwillingness to field offers for him.

The latest Deshaun Watson trade indicates a blockbuster trade is on the horizon. Patriots, you up?

Watson’s been outspoken about wanting out of Houston for multiple months now, but the Texans’ new front office regime has been adamant about keeping him, which is pretty bizarre when you consider that he would seemingly rather sit out the season than play another game for them.

Whatever the case, this news should have Patriots fans drooling, as it makes Watson a somewhat realistic target after it was previously surmised he wouldn’t be available.

Objectively speaking, a realistic price tag for the 25-year-old superstar should be a baseline of three first-round draft picks. That’s a steep asking price, but when you consider that Watson hasn’t even entered his prime yet (he won’t turn 26 until September) and is already a top five player at the position, the Patriots really shouldn’t have any qualms with giving up that much.

Not having a first-round pick for the next three years would be a tough pill to swallow, but it really isn’t that big a deal considering Bill Belichick’s recent draft history. For context, the de facto GM he hasn’t “hit” on a Round 1 selection since Chandler Jones nine years ago in 2012.

On top of that, assuming the Patriots spend as much in free agency as reports indicate, their roster will be playoff-ready for the foreseeable future, meaning they won’t need to be flush with first-rounders to fill gaps at certain positions.

We really don’t need to reiterate why New England should target Watson, but they shouldn’t necessarily be in a rush to make a deal happen. After all, if his saga with the Texans extends well into free agency the Patriots will most likely become one of his most appealing destinations by the time Houston comes to its senses.

Taking into account that Watson’s no-trade clause means that he must approve of a trade before it can be completed, the stars are slowly starting to align for Belichick and the Patriots to acquire their long-term answer at QB.

A lot of factors obviously need to break in their favor, but this update confirms that there’s hope Watson could end up in Foxborough, and that could not be said just 24 hours ago.

Patriots: Former GM thinks Bill Belichick will go all out for Deshaun Watson

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum thinks Patriots HC Bill Belichick will go all out for a Deshaun Watson trade this offseason.