Wish we had kept the 2nd round but I've moved on from the trade. At least next year, I can actually watch and hope to see the Texans win games instead of hoping they lose for a higher pick. I can still enjoy watching the Browns lose.
Someone asked this yesterday. Here's where we are on the Watson trade tally after making moves like we did for Anderson. I took some liberty to exclude the Cleveland 1st next year and just bunch it with the Anderson deal as largely that's how it'll likely shake out with Cleveland and Houston not terribly far from one another. Cleveland gets: Deshaun Watson, QB Texans' 2024 5th round pick Houston gets: Kenyon Green, G (trade back for 15, 124, 162, 166) ammo to get John Metchie III, WR (trade up for 68, 108, 124) ammo to get Christian Harris, LB (trade up for 80, 162) ammo to get Thomas Booker, DT (trade up for 166, 207) Will Anderson, LB (trade up for 12, 33, 2024 1, 2024 3) Cleveland's 2023 3rd round pick (73) Cleveland's 2024 4th round pick So far.....woof.
The Deshaun trade was more than just about the bottom line number of picks. It was also a mechanism that would allow the team flexibility should there be a prospect in the future that we wanted to go up and get. We cashed that check last night for a player that Demeco very obviously feels strongly about. We moved up 9 slots in a draft where most people agree that there were only a dozen or so legit first round talents. If Demeco views Anderson as a culture-setting leader, someone who can set the tone on that side of the ball for the next decade, then you don't pass that type of player up just so you have a chance to draft the 5th best defensive back in the draft or whoever we would land at 33.
I’m all for it. As Caserio put it, he’s been going for singles and doubles so excited to see a big swing finally. No idea if it works out but at least something to watch.
I think both Will Anderson and Stroud can be looked as the acquired player for Watson. Texans only took Stroud at #2 so they wouldn't have to worry about getting outbid at #3 from the Titans. I would look at it as essentially the Texans traded Watson for another potential franchise QB and picks.
You can't do it that way though. We would have had pick 2 even without the Cleveland pick. You could swap Stroud in for Anderson I guess but one of them carries the Cleveland pick and the other doesn't. Anderson literally does, but I would buy it if you said we picked Stroud at 2 so it made trading to 3 easier on us vs. us competing for the 3rd pick with other teams wanting Stroud if we had picked Anderson at 2. I will say, even though I'm not sold (yet) on Stroud, the 2023 version already feels more like what we should have done with this compensation. Kenyon Green + parts to move up for other pieces feels pretty underwhelming. Almost feels like this is the signal we need to look at where DeMeco or someone told Caserio to stop bunting and swing.
I don't really see what the issue is. In many people's mind we overpaid...possibly, but Carolina traded essentially a 1st, 2-2nds, and a Pro Bowl caliber WR to go up 8 slots. We gave up a 1, 2, and a 3 to go up 9. It's not that big of a deal. As a GM you can't hold onto next year, when this years value is staring you in the face. I would've loved to only give up 33, but they got 2 guys that were #1 on a lot of teams' boards. Whatever pick they have next year, wasn't a guarantee that they would've been able to select a guy as good as Anderson was this year... I'm good with it. Kept the momentum for 2023 going.
I agree. The trade chart is good in a vacuum. It is also good for later in the 1st round through the rest of the draft. You can throw it out the window in the first few picks of the draft. It is like an auction, especially if other teams want that pick too. The trade chart is the starting point. Once bidding starts it goes up from there.
I think you're leaving out a an important part of the equation: if Stroud and Anderson both live up to their potential, whatever the result of the picks will matter a whole lot less. I'm not arguing *for* the trade: I do think they gave up *a lot* (Caserio continues to remind me he's just not very good at this) - but landing a franchise QB is very nearly worth whatever cost, and I'm not sure there will be a prospect better than Will Anderson at the top of next year's draft. I know the last month has fried everybody's brains - but for a year now, validated by a full college football season, Stroud and Anderson were consistently rated as 2 of the very best prospects in this draft, with Anderson, specifically, being perhaps not just the best but a franchise-altering pass rusher. We just can't do this math without factoring in how they (eventually) translate. (Me? I would've felt better about the trade if they had held on to next year's 1 or this year's 2. But, again... if Stroud is the real deal.....)
I have a feeling the same people that feel like we overpayed to trade up for Will Anderson were silent when O'Brien traded two first-rounders and a second rounder for Tunsil.
