Broncos still rumored to be on Deshaun Watson short list

With free agency upon the NFL world and the pool of potential quarterback targets shrinking, the Denver Broncos are rumored to still have the attention the offseason’s biggest fish: Deshaun Watson.

Joining “The Rich Eisen Show” on Tuesday, The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi said the disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback controls his future destination, and that reportedly still includes Denver.

“The rumor is he doesn’t want to play in New York. The rumor is he doesn’t want to play in Miami,” Lombardi said. “He wants to play in Denver and San Francisco.”

The comments come on the heels of several potential Broncos quarterback targets coming off the board ahead of free agency on Wednesday, including veterans Andy Dalton and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Interestingly, the Texans also added a quarterback to its roster on Tuesday, signing veteran journeyman Tyrod Taylor to a one-year deal worth up to $12.5 million, per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

If Denver indeed intends to woo Watson away from Houston, it will have to do so without the help of safety Kareem Jackson, who was released by the Broncos on Monday.

Jackson, who played with Watson for the Texans in 2017 and 2018, confirmed in early February that the quarterback had interest in playing for the Broncos.

However, DenverFan.com Senior Broncos Writer John Clayton told “Stokley & Zach” earlier this month that moving on from the hard-hitting safety wouldn’t play a factor in where Watson lands.

“Remember, it’s a matter of who can work out the trade with Houston as opposed to where Watson wants to go,” Clayton said. “He’ll want to go to Denver. He’ll want to go Carolina. He wants just to be out of Houston, so either place is fine. But the recruiting part isn’t part of it.”

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