The broken sliding doors of Deshaun Watson

The 2022 offseason was a sliding doors moment for several franchises. The Texans had formally decided to move on from Deshaun Watson and he had plenty of suitors despite everyone knowing what a turd of a human he is. Watson was open to a move to the Dolphins or Panthers, and the Dolphins at one point were rumored to be close to a trade. The Saints and Falcons were in it right until the end, with the Falcons reportedly ready to sign Leonard Fournette and Jarvis Landry in free agency if they landed Watson. The Browns of course landed him by coming back and offering him an unprecedented contract that no one else would match.

But before then, well before then, the Eagles were interested.

And the Philadelphia Eagles, whose general manager Howie Roseman has conducted extensive due diligence into Watson’s complicated off-field situation, as have other NFL teams, aren’t one of the teams Watson would waive his no-trade clause for, according to league sources.

The Seahawks were also reportedly one of those other teams. The Eagles, and everyone else, obviously dodged a bullet there. But there’s an alternate universe where they don’t, and the 2024 Eagles look a lot like the 2024 Browns. The two teams aren’t that dissimilar.

Former Eagles assistant GM Andrew Berry is the Browns GM, Jim Schwartz is the DC, Duce Staley is the RB coach, and Shaun Huls runs their sport science division, he had the same role with the Eagles.

Beyond the cosmetic, the Browns and Eagles are analytically inclined teams, no team has a larger analytics department than Cleveland. The Browns haven’t drafted in the 1st round since 2021 and only one time in the 2nd round since then, but they’ve stocked up on OL, DL, and WR, using 8 of their top 9 picks over the last three seasons on those positions, the Eagles have spent 6 of their top 9 picks over that time on the same trio of positions if you include the AJ Brown trade. The Browns are spending more against their cap on OL and EDGE than the Eagles and basically the same on interior DL. Neither team is spending on LB (Eagles 2nd least, Browns 7th least) or safeties (Eagles 3rd least, Browns 10th least). Both teams have been active in player trade markets, the Browns have traded for Watson, Amari Cooper, Ze’Darius Smith, Elijah Moore, Dustin Hopkins, and Jerry Jeudy.

These teams aren’t Spiderman pointing at himself, but they’re a lot closer to each other than to say, the Lions or Colts or Giants.

We can definitively say the Eagles won the Haason Reddick trade
In case you missed it, Reddick’s agency dropped him. Reddick is now effectively retired, having burned bridges with his team and his agency, he’s losing millions of dollars, and he’s 30. Maybe there’s an incentive laden league minimum contract for him out there whenever he’s eligible for free agency, because if he doesn’t report to the Jets with 6 games to play he will still be under contract next year.

Now it all makes sense
Is Darius Slay too nice?

Slay is one of the kindest players in the NFL, Mailata said.

We all know this guy. The friend who is too nice. He’s friends with everyone, which can be detrimental because then through him you wind up running into too many people that you don’t want in your orbit. You can’t avoid it because Mr Too Nice Guy is also one of your roommates. And you throw some big parties so of course they’re there. And then they’re at his wedding. Then years later they find you on Facebook. I’ve said too much.

Anyway, we all know this guy. Slay is that guy? It makes sense now. Still hate his tweets though.

College Football Week 7 Watch List
South Carolina vs Alabama

South Carolina EDGE Kyle Kennard pops every time I watch him, making plays in the backfield against both the pass and the run. He won’t go in the 1st round, but he’s a day two prospect worth watching.

Washington vs Iowa

Colson Loveland of Michigan and Harold Fannin Jr. of Bowling Green are the headliners at TE but Iowa’s Luke Lachey is right behind them. Iowa has pumped out TEs: George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, TJ Hockenson, with Erick All looking good so far. Lachey, who can line up anywhere, is next in line.

Texas vs Oklahoma

Texas is loaded but most of their top players either won’t be available to the Eagles such as LT Kelvin Banks, a top 5 non-QB pick; or aren’t high priority needs such as WR Isaiah Bond. TE Gunnar Helm had a breakout game against Michigan where he looked like a mid-round pick, but has been quiet since. With Quinn Ewers back at QB, he could have another strong game. That may actually say more about Ewers though, which isn’t a compliment.

Ohio State vs Oregon

This is a marquee matchup of teams, and it has a marquee matchup of Ohio State’s edge rushers Jack Sawyer (who I have been kind of impressed with) and JT Tuimoloau (who I have not been impressed with) vs Oregon’s OTs Ajani Cornelius and Josh Connerly.