Is Quinnen Williams’ inclusion a deciding factor in any deal for Deshaun Watson?

The first domino of the expected QB carousel has fallen. Matthew Stafford traded to the Rams for picks and Jared Goff. It’s a hell of a way to start an offseason even before the 2020-21 season is over.

It was an interesting job as the immediate reaction from Jets fans focused on what it means for Watson. If Stafford gets you a QB who has two Pro Bowls under his belt, 107 touchdowns and 18,000 yards in 5 years, what will it take to get Watson, a much better player?

This Lions / Aries agreement has many aspects. The Goff contract which is approximate in the short term but can be abandoned quite easily by the Lions on the road, and the fact that the first two heading to Detroit will likely be between the 25-32 picks.

After a period of reflection, several analysts, including the Houston Writers, said the Stafford deal hadn’t really done anything in terms of the cost of Deshaun Watson.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reiterated that the cost to Watson would be two firsts, two seconds and at least two defensive starters, which made me think of Quinnen Williams.

I asked my Twitter followers if they would do an exchange consisting of two firsts, one second and Quinnen Williams.

This morning 58% reluctantly said yes they would do this trade. However, 42% said they would not do this trade. Which means that in essence the inclusion of Quinnen Williams was a big deal for many.

I waited until I gave my opinion on this to try to avoid influencing people one way or the other. However, I found it quite interesting that much of the base doesn’t part with a defensive tackle and three caps for a 25-year-old QB franchise who has just finished a great season on a horrible team.

Let me start off by saying that if I were a GM I would do everything in my power to make sure Quinnen Williams is not included in this deal. It would be a last resort, where Houston said it was Williams or we were trading him somewhere else.

Williams is a superb talent, with the potential to be a regular All-Pro. In 2020, he made 40 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 23 QB haste, 8 QB hits and 38 saves. He is 23 and we expect him to get better and better. In Saleh’s defense, he’s expected to be a force inside DT.

However, as good of a DT as he is, are you going to let that stop you from acquiring a QB who is 25, comes from a season where he threw 4,823 yards for 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, while rushing for 444 yards and 3 more scores?

In my mind, it comes down to a simple question, is it easier to find a really good replacement defensive tackle or a franchise QB? Consider the defensive lineman the Jets have had over the past 10 years, then consider the number of playoff appearances we’ve made.

Ideally, you have both. You manage to get Watson without giving up on Williams, that’s the perfect scenario. However, with that assumption, I found it interesting that a lot of people are willing to ditch Watson for Williams (and the first round picks of course).

If you are Houston, you need all the help you can get. You have no ceiling space, you have no draft pick and you have no defense. I mean, their defense was historically bad last year. So Quinnen Williams and some firsts could be very appealing to them.

I wanted to get your take on these GGN members, would you move Williams, two firsts (say the No.2 and Seattle first next year) and a second round pick for Watson? There is no guarantee that Houston would agree to this deal, but let’s just say for the sake of discussion that they would. You tried to get them to take first place from Seattle this year to keep the precious No.2, but they don’t budge. You tried to include other players, but again they insist on Williams, do you make that deal?