It's time to take the Deshaun Watson (to the Jets?) trade rumors seriously

John McClain has been covering the NFL in Houston since the Oilers were there, and isn’t someone who’s associated with throwing stuff out there to see if it sticks.

In other words, when McClain starts talking about Deshaun Watson getting traded, it’s time to pay attention. And now McClain is talking about Deshaun Watson getting traded.

McClain’s column reads in a way that seems an awful lot like it was sourced directly from the Texans’ front office. They don’t want to trade Watson, but if the quarterback is making it clear that he has no intention of suiting up for Houston again, the team may not have a choice.

Really, when was the last time you saw a trade speculation piece as detailed as this?

The Jets could start with [Sam] Darnold, their first-round picks this year (second and 23rd overall) and their first- and second-round picks in 2022. That would be three ones, a two, Darnold and perhaps defensive end Quinnen Williams.

It’s not the first time that Williams’ name has come up in trade rumors, to the point that he’s come out publicly and said he’d be disappointed to be traded and wants to play his whole career in New York. Still, the nature of the report — Darnold, very specific picks, and “perhaps” Williams — is a level of proposal that usually gets bandied about on a message board or from a talk-radio caller, not from a staid columnist who presents a similar scenario for the Dolphins.

The way to translate this is that, most likely, McClain got word from inside the Texans organization about what they’ll be looking for when they do start actively looking to deal Watson, if they aren’t already.

This isn’t a matter of someone going out on a limb. When McClain writes that it’s time for the Texans to listen to offers for Watson, that means it’s time for us to really start giving credence to the notion that Watson really will be traded.