Deshaun Watson rumors: Trade list down to 49ers and Broncos?

Deshaun Watson is still intent on being traded and the young quarterback has seemingly narrowed his list down to two teams: the 49ers and Broncos.

Whenever the preferred trade destinations for Deshaun Watson initially came to light, most people assumed that the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets were the most likely teams to make the deal. After all, they have the most draft capital to offer the Houston Texans in a potential trade. But what we may have forgotten, though, is that Watson’s no-trade clause essentially allows him to choose where he wants to go.

Apparently where he wants to go is not Miami or New York (or Carolina, for that matter). Instead, it appears that the young quarterback has it narrowed down to either the San Francisco 49ers or Denver Broncos.

Michael Lombardi of The Athletic asserted as much on Tuesday during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. Lombardi stated that the 49ers and Broncos are Watson’s preferred destinations as he doesn’t want to live in Miami or New York — which it should be said is a little bit surprising for a star athlete in his mid-20s.

In any case, this drastically changes things for the Deshaun Watson trade situation. And if the 49ers or Broncos landed the quarterback, it would drastically change things for their franchise as well.

The 49ers are a much better destination than the Broncos for Deshaun Watson.

When you look at the Broncos, there’s no question that Denver would be upgraded substantially by moving from Drew Lock to Deshaun Watson. The latter is much better equipped to utilize a talented young wide receiver corps with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. Additionally, the defense could possibly return to form if they can stay healthy and improve the secondary.

Having said that, the Broncos have not been truly in playoff contention over the past few years in spite of their quarterback play. You could argue that’s because the quarterback play has been outright bad at times but the fact of the matter is that the roster isn’t overall at a level where it can compete without a great signal-caller.

The 49ers, however, are in that position. Jimmy Garoppolo has been fine (when healthy) for San Francisco but he’s also put a ceiling on the passing offense. Yet, they still made it to Super Bowl LIV and were just a few minutes away from winning with Jimmy G at the helm. Imagine if you take that team and put Deshaun Watson under center.

Watson operating under the offensive ingenuity of Kyle Shanahan would be a treat for all NFL fans to watch, especially Niners fans. He’s a dynamic player in every sense that would not only afford more opportunities in the passing game but further open up the elite rushing attack behind a great offensive line, especially after just re-signing Trent Williams.

In any case, both the 49ers and Broncos should and apparently are interested in Deshaun Watson. Now it’s a waiting game to see if either franchise can strike a deal with the Texans.