Report: Houston Texans linked to Xavien Howard amidst Deshaun Watson trade rumors

According to a recent report, the Houston Texans have expressed interest in Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard. The report comes at the same time the Texans are rumored to be hunting a trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“Well, I’m still getting a strong sense, league-wide, that the Texans will eventually move on from Deshaun Watson,” said ESPN NFL Jeremy Fowler on Sunday on SportsCenter. “A source close to Watson believes a trade will probably happen sooner or later, assuming his legal issues do get resolved. And Houston is a team that comes up sometimes when I ask league execs about Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who is unhappy with his contract.

“They think that he would be an ideal fit in Houston, and then maybe Watson and Howard should be a trade swap involving both teams. Now, there’s no hard and fast information right now that Miami would pursue Watson. They’d probably back Tua Tagovailoa. There’s nothing going on there right now, especially with Watson’s legal issues.

“But Houston is a team that other execs are at least looking to as a potential option for Xavien Howard, because something is building there. He’s been unhappy with his contract. Miami’s going to have to address it, one way or another. Maybe it resolves in a trade, going somewhere in the AFC South.

The Dolphins were recently linked to Watson and reportedly could still consider trading for him. It will be interesting to see if the two teams came together on a deal including Howard and Watson.

Howard is inarguably one of the best cornerbacks in football, and the Dolphins would surely miss his production. In the 2020 season, he led the NFL in passes defended with 20 and interceptions with 10. At just 28 years old, Howard should have plenty of good years left.

Watson, on the other hand, is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, although it’s impossible to overlook the allegations that have come his way throughout the offseason. Several women have accused the 25-year-old of sexual assault and misconduct. His future in the league remains uncertain.

It was recently reported that Watson intends to report to training camp on Sunday to avoid being fined, but he still wants a trade from the organization. It will be interesting to see if any teams are willing to actually pull a trigger on a deal for a player who is mixed up in such an ugly situation.

During the 2020 season, Watson led the league with 4,823 passing yards. The talent is there, but the allegations certainly take precedent.