How much is Deshaun Watson worth? It wasn't long ago that the Houston Texans determined that he was worth $156 million to be the face of the franchise. If they don't rectify the situation with their young star quarterback soon, they may have to learn how much he is worth in draft compensation.
Watson may want out of Houston after expressing some frustration with how the organization handles itself. Could head coach Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers come calling? It would cost a lot, but it would also mean an opportunity to fix the mistake of choosing Solomon Thomas over one of the rookie quarterbacks available in the 2017 draft.
And no, I'm not counting C.J. Beathard.
The question becomes what the Texans might ask in return for Watson, should the team's relationship with its quarterback be beyond repair. Some have thrown out the possibility of three first-round picks being a starting point to open trade discussions.
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young joined KNBR on Wednesday and shared his thoughts on the Watson situation.
"I would give two first-round picks for generational quarterbacks — these are potential Hall of Famers," Young said on the Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks show. "Who are the generational quarterbacks playing right now? Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, probably Josh Allen. Like, young guys. Justin Herbert, very quickly. I would not trade Justin Herbert for less than that, even though he's won four games or something like that. But there's something about him that really gives me that sense."
Young adds that Watson is the type of player he would take a big risk on. We know he would be willing to part with two first-rounders. Would that risk include three first-round picks?
Responded Young: "Yeah, I would take a lot of risk for Deshaun Watson. I would."
Needless to say, Young is a big fan of what Watson is now and what he can be down the road. Young added that the Texans trading away the star player would be a terrible look for the franchise.
"He is, no joke, one of the best quarterbacks in the league," Young said. "... He is poised to be one of the generational greats, and he's already proven that he can handle it. ... To me, Deshaun Watson is like, 'Wow. I want that.'
"So, if the Texans lose Deshaun Watson, they should be sent to the Caracas league. They should be sent to some other league in some foreign country somewhere. They should not be part of the NFL. That's not possible. There's no way. You cannot lose a generational talent; I don't care who you get."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.