Colts: Would the Texans at least consider trading JJ Watt to Indy?

The Houston Texans are at a crossroads and there’s a good chance the front office trades the team’s best assets in order to expedite a rebuild. Typically, when a sell-off like this happens, fans and pundits can safely rule out divisional opponents as potential trade partners.

However, with David Culley’s side potentially losing both quarterback Deshaun Watson and future Hall of Fame defensive end JJ Watt, there’s a non-zero chance that Watt could be wearing Indianapolis Colts colors at the end of this offseason.

Watt and the Texans may reportedly part ways this offseason. If his main goal is to win a championship, few places could be better for him than Indianapolis. After all he’s done for the franchise, it’s hard to believe they wouldn’t fulfill his request if it happened to be Indy.

JJ Watt could end up with the Indianapolis Colts if the Texans get desperate

Watt might not be the same pass rusher that won three Defensive Player of the Year awards in four seasons, but he’s still among the best all-around defensive linemen in the league. In a Matt Eberflus defense that can both limit big plays without sending a ton of extra blitzers, getting pressure from down linemen is critical. Watt alongside Darius Leonard on that defense would make the Colts’ unit one of the most complete in the league.

While the Texans might not like seeing Watt in rival colors twice a year, this team is not negotiating from a position of strength given how much Jack Easterby and Cal McNair have royally screwed things up. They just need to take the best deal possible for a team that’s both rebuilding and lacking in draft capital. With the cap space to take Watt on and more than enough picks, Chris Ballard might be able to leap to the front of the line in the sweepstakes.

Watt’s contributions to the franchise and city of Houston cannot be measured, but if sending him to a division rival is a tense discussion, it’s probably best for Texans fans to know that this won’t hurt them over the long term. Watt has just one year left on his deal and is entering his age-32 season. Why not poach assets from a division rival just to see him hurt you for one season?

The Colts and Texans should consider this and throw the whole “intra division trades are bad” narrative out the window.

Indianapolis Colts: 6 best quarterbacks the franchise ever drafted

These are the six greatest quarterbacks the Indianapolis Colts ever drafted, including Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, and Chris Chandler