Matthew Stafford traded to Rams: Winners and losers from blockbuster NFL trade

Winner: Houston Texans

While the Houston Texans may be posturing that they have no intention to trade quarterback Deshaun Watson, it feels like an inevitable outcome for the situation. The team has no leverage and it does seem as if Watson is prepared to sit out. However, with the Stafford trade, the Texans have lucked into a terrific position when they walk up to the proverbial negotiating table.

If Stafford can go for a young quarterback, two first-round picks and a third-round pick, what could Houston get for Watson? Stafford is in his 30s with no proven playoff chops. Watson, meanwhile, is in his mid-20s and has taken the Texans to the playoffs already in his career.

The Texans are going to be able to demand a king’s ransom with the standard set by the Stafford trade, which is great news for the future of Houston.

Loser: Any team trying to trade for Deshaun Watson

The flip side of the Texans being winners is that any team trying to trade for Deshaun Watson immediately becomes a loser in this situation. Yes, the price tag for trading for the quarterback was always going to be monumentally steep. However, it wouldn’t have been shocking to see a team like the Dolphins be able to pull off a deal for Tua Tagovailoa and two first-round picks.

Now that seems impossible to happen. We’re almost surely going to be looking at a trade that costs a team three first-round picks and a player, at minimum. That’s the precedent that the Matthew Stafford trade sets, making the proposition of trading for Watson even more risky than it already was given what will have to be given up in such a deal.