Report: Patriots showed interest in Deshaun Watson before assault and harassment accusations

Entering the offseason, Deshaun Watson was set to be the story of the spring. One of the elite quarterbacks in football, he had reportedly grown disillusioned with the Houston Texans franchise and was demanding a trade.

According to the Houston Chronicle's John McClain, the team had originally planned to trade Watson the week of the draft, despite initial posturing that they were not open to granting his trade request. He adds eight teams had "shown interest" in the 25 year old quarterback before the accusations surfaced. Among the teams mentioned is the New England Patriots.

Any trade momentum quickly went away as Watson was accused multiple times of sexual harassment and assault. As those cases are sorted out, Watson's football future has rightfully taken a back seat. There are currently 22 civil suits pending against him.

Even if Watson was still on the block, the Patriots' chances of landing him were slim at best. The price would have been astronomical - according to McClain, the Texans were looking for "at least" three first-round picks, two second-round picks and a defensive starter.

Watson also has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he'd have to be open to playing in New England. On top of all of that, the question lingered regarding whether or not new Texans' GM Nick Caserio would send Watson to his old employer.

The other seven teams who showed interest in Watson were the Jets, Dolphins, Panthers, Broncos, 49ers, Bears, and Washington Football Team, per McClain.

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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.