Rapoport: It would take an ‘unprecedented’ offer for the Texans to trade Watson

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport provided a few updates surrounding the Deshaun Watson trade saga. The Texans brass spoke on Friday and said they don’t intend to trade “the player,” which I’m sure will go over well with Watson.

Houston GM Nick Caserio said the team has “zero interest” in trading Watson and HC David Culley saying, “the reason I’m in this position today is because I know he’s going to be a Houston Texan” feels like Houston playing the leverage game.

This goes back to every press conference ever when the talking heads don’t have any other option than to say what they said. The 49ers were in a similar situation less than a month ago, and now we’re talking about any quarterback that comes available being tied to the Niners.

Rapoport said what we already know: Watson won’t be cheap.

“The Houston Texans, if they do decide to trade Deshaun Watson, are going to get a trade package that is going to be, as you mentioned, unprecedented… This is probably going to rival some of the draft moves with multiple first-rounders. You’re talking maybe not two, maybe three first-rounders and players. This is a generational quarterback.”

A generational quarterback, indeed.

Knowing how the organization has operated in the past — Lynch has admitted that the team pursued Khalil Mack and Odell Beckham Jr. — it’s difficult to imagine the 49ers not already having made an offer. The question for San Francisco must ask is whether Watson is worth three first-round picks.

The answer to the Watson question is easy. It’s yes. Another Deshaun Watson isn’t coming into the NFL for a long time. First-round picks are great, but we’re talking about prospects and comparing them to established players.

Could the hold up with Matthew Stafford be due to the 49ers waiting and seeing how this Watson situation unfolds? Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes the first QB domino will fall during Super Bowl week. We’ll have our answer soon enough.