Future Hall of Fame defensive end J.J. Watt is now a free agent, after the Texans released him.
So could — and should — the Giants or Jets be interested, considering both are trying to improve their pass rush? Or is Watt destined to land in Pittsburgh, where younger brother T.J. Watt is an All-Pro pass rusher?
Sure, the Giants and Jets should both have interest in Watt, who probably won’t command a massive price in free agency, since production and health have been issues for him recently.
After all, the Giants and Jets last season tied for 17th in Pro Football Focus’ pass rush ratings. Watt, even at this late stage of his career, would be an upgrade for either team.
For the Giants, a lot depends on how things unfold with defensive lineman Leonard Williams, a pending free agent. And there’s a chance Watt signs elsewhere before the Giants are able to make a final determination on whether Williams will be back.
Williams led the Giants last season with 11.5 sacks. Nobody else on the team had more than four. He is going to command big money in free agency, from the Giants or somebody else. So that’s a significant mitigating factor for general manager Dave Gettleman.
The Jets, meanwhile, got seven sacks last season from another promising young defensive lineman — Quinnen Williams. No other Jets player had more than 3.5. Williams looks like a budding star. So could the Jets pair Williams (on the interior) and Watt (on the edge) to create a formidable defensive line in 2021?
Theoretically, yes, especially if the Jets vault themselves closer to contender status by trading for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
And that’s partly because the Jets currently rank third in the NFL in salary cap space ($67.9 million), according to overthecap.com’s estimate. The Giants are 19th ($1.2 million), though they can create more space (to do things like re-sign Williams) by making cuts.
But Watt, who turns 32 next month, is in the twilight of his career — and still chasing a Super Bowl ring. Would he even want to join a rebuilding team like the Jets or Giants? Probably not.
That’s why the Steelers seem a likelier landing spot (if they can sort out their cap issues) — and not just because Watt’s brother T.J. plays for them. (Another Watt brother also plays for the Steelers — Derek, a fullback who mainly contributes on special teams.)
The Steelers, coming off a 12-4 season, are making one last Super Bowl push with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2021, the final year of his contract. They’re a win-now team, and signing Watt is a win-now move.
With time running out for Watt, the Steelers — or another contender — are a much better situation for him than the Jets or Giants, even though he’d help fix their pass rush issues.
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