3 stumbling blocks that could prevent Panthers trade for Deshaun Watson
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers face increased competition for Deshaun Watson
In an ideal world, other teams would have already gone in different directions and the Carolina Panthers could get a clear shot at Deshaun Watson. However, this is a top-five quarterback that is still just 26 years old, so the chances of that were remote right out of the gate.
The Panthers always knew there would be competition, no matter how good their offer was. The New Orleans Saints also met with the player on Monday, with the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons also throwing their hats in the ring in the hope of acquiring a signal-caller that can lead the franchise for the next decade.
Whether this is all smoke and mirrors is another matter. There would be a temptation for Carolina’s divisional rivals in the NFC South to get involved to heighten the price, but there is simply no way of knowing for sure until Watson finally makes up his mind.
That won’t be too much longer in the offing, one suspects. Houston wants to maximize value and any interested party won’t want to jeopardize any potential free-agent signings that could be interested if Watson does come on board.
The Panthers are now just playing the waiting game, much like the Saints and the Browns when they get done. Watson will waive his no-trade clause to go somewhere and there might already be a favorite to secure his services.