Best Destinations for Watt
- Matt McLaughlin
- Feb 27, 2021
- 3 min read
The Houston Texans have officially released JJ Watt, putting the nail in the coffin for a franchise and almost certainly signaling a trade for Deshaun Watson is in the works. With Watt’s release and the trade of star wideout De’Andre Hopkins, the Texans look to rebuild from the ground up, but Watt finally gets a chance to compete for a Super Bowl so here’s the five best teams for Watt to go to.
5. Dallas Cowboys
It pains me to say this as an Eagles fan *takes deep breath*, but Dallas is a good spot for Watt to go to. A defensive line featuring Demarcus Lawrence and JJ Watt gives me memories of the Dwight Freeney-Robert Mathis days in Indianapolis (don’t worry we’ll get to the Colts), and in a historically weak division, Dallas appears to be the most stable organization.
Dak Prescott will likely get franchise tagged or sign a contract extension, but that defensive unit was the biggest weakness for Dallas, just look at this touchdown run by Odell Beckham Jr. Watt provide a massive spark to the defense and finally put Dallas over the top as Super Bowl contenders.
4. Indianapolis Colts
Indy’s defense headlined by Darius Leonard and Deforest Buckner burst onto the scene last season and kept Indy in games long enough for Philip Rivers to pull out the wins, but Watt fills a hole the Colts desperately need plugged on the defensive front. Justin Houston and Denico Autry line up on the outside and had good success as a pass-rush pairing (8 sacks for Houston, 7.5 for Autry), but Watt poses a completely different question for offensive line protections.
Holding a triplet of Watt, Autry, and Houston gives defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus plenty of options to experiment with the front seven, which will give offensive coordinators nightmares if Watt chooses to play in Lucas Oil Stadium.
3. San Francisco 49ers
Just over a year ago, the 49ers were an Emmanuel Sanders touchdown away from winning their first Super Bowl since 1994.
With reports of Jimmy Garoppolo likely remaining the franchise’s quarterback, John Lynch and the front office will turn to improving the defensive side of the ball, especially after defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was hired as a head coach by the New York Jets and multiple injuries.
2. Cleveland Browns
This season was a magical run for the Brownies and the city of Cleveland, but make no mistake about Cleveland’s success this past season.
This is just the beginning.
One area of the roster that could get a huge boost is the defensive line. That’s not to say the defensive line from last season wasn’t great but Oliver Vernon going down for the rest of the season with a torn ACL towards the end of the season delivered a massive blow to the team.
However, with Watt, Vernon, and Myles Garrett, the Browns will solidify themselves as one of the most complete teams in the league and potentially dethrone the Chiefs for best team in the AFC.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We all know “Tompa Bay” was going to be on top of this list, right? THere’s a reason Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time and why his teams are always reloading...everyone wants to play with the guy because he’s their ticket to Lombardi glory.
Even on a minimum salary, this fit would be best for Watt from a winning standpoint, but the Bucs will have decisions to make this offseason with Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Shaq Barrett, Lavonte David and Chris Godwin all eligible for extensions.
Wherever Watt goes, it’ll be a team that gives him an opportunity to win for the first time in his career, and it’s about damn time he gets that chance.
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