The Dolphins can’t hide from the Deshaun Watson rumors forever.
After a report over the weekend stated that the Dolphins have emerged as the “frontrunners” to land Watson, the team downplayed the rumors, while refusing to outright deny their interest. Yahoo Sports insider Charles Robinson then doubled down on his report with a tweet on Monday.
“Can’t state it any more clearly: My Watson reporting is from high-level sourcing in 5 teams: Dolphins, Texans, Broncos, Eagles, Panthers and inside Watson’s camp,” Robinson wrote. “I challenge the Dolphins to state on the record that they haven’t spoken to Houston about a Watson deal in camp.”
The Miami Herald also reported the Dolphins’ interest in Watson over the weekend, saying they would be interested in the right price. The Texans are still asking for at least three first-round picks.
Miami head coach Brian Flores addressed the rumors on Monday, telling reporters that “reports and speculation are not things we really get into” and “any conversations we have or don’t have with other clubs are going to be internal.” He also reaffirmed the team’s support in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
“I’m very confident in Tua. He’s done a lot of good things this spring, this offseason, this training camp. He played well last week. Again, my conversations with the players are going to always remain between me and that player.”
The whole situation seems odd. For one, Flores had a chance to outright deny that the team was interested, and he didn’t. Flores also said the team only wants “high character” players, and Watson is facing over 22 lawsuits and several criminal complaints over allegations of sexual misconduct and assault.
And then there’s Tagovailoa. The second-year QB had an up-and-down rookie year, but the team just picked him fifth overall a year ago. Are they really willing to give up on him after just one season for a guy who, at best, could face a hefty suspension, and at worst could face criminal charges?
It certainly seems like the Texans are going to need to decrease their asking price for the Dolphins to actually pull the trigger on a trade. But if they get desperate and do just that, it could make for a messy situation in Miami.