WATSON WATCH
Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson has eliminated one team from his list
Mar 17, 2022, 11:26 am
The Browns are out! Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images.
Week 1 fantasy football rankings
According to Adam Schefter, the Cleveland Browns have been informed that Deshaun Watson will not waive his no-trade clause for a trade to Cleveland.
Browns notified they’re out of the running on Deshaun Watson, per team official.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2022
We've heard rumors that Deshaun prefers not to play for a cold weather team, so eliminating the Browns makes sense in that aspect. And after reports from Aaron Wilson about Watson having a second meeting with the Saints on Wednesday night, it's starting to look like the Saints are the favorites to land Watson.
New Orleans Saints met with Deshaun Watson for second time while simultaneously clearing salary-cap space to acquire his $156 million contract, according to league sources. One source described general manager Mickey Loomis as "determined" and "aggressive" to land Watson
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 17, 2022
Not only does New Orleans look like Deshaun's favorite destination at the moment, but the Saints are making multiple moves to clear cap space, and it appears they almost have enough cap space to make the trade, according to Field Yates. We're also hearing from Aaron Wilson that Saints guard and former 1st round pick, Cesar Ruiz, could be a part of this trade.
There is still no Matt Ryan contract restructure in Atlanta, nor any agreement on one.
And the Saints can almost already afford Deshaun Watson if the quarterback wanted to go to New Orleans. https://t.co/GpMeIfki4k
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2022
Let's focus on the Falcons for a moment because the clock is ticking for them. Per ProFootballTalk, "Ryan is due to receive a $7.5 million roster bonus tomorrow. Which means that, if he’s not off the roster by 4:00 p.m. ET today, the cap charge for a pre-June 1 trade moves to $48.025 million."
With this in mind, don't be surprised if Watson has to let the Falcons know his intentions today, so they can make a decision on Ryan's contract.
As far as the Panthers, they feel like a long shot at this point. Watson has met twice with the Saints, so it would be very surprising if Watson picks the Panthers. But anything is possible, we'll see. Bottom line, I believe Watson makes his decision today, but we might not hear about it right away.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.