J.J. Watt's Potential Landing Spots

Last week, the inevitable came true. Longtime Houston Texan DE J.J. Watt parted ways with the organization after requesting a release from the team. After ten seasons, Watt is now a free agent and will have the opportunity to sign with any team of his choice. He has not labeled any certain teams but has been adamant about joining a Super Bowl contender. Let us look at a few teams that might be interested in signing the 3x defensive player of the year.

Pittsburgh Steelers

A family reunion? As soon as Watt was released from Houston, there was buzz that he would join his two brothers in Pittsburgh to play for the Steelers. Watt would be joining an already elite defense, playing the opposite side of his brother T.J. while Derek is the team’s fullback. While it would be a great story, it might not make much sense for Watt to join them. The Steelers have an aging quarterback, making their window to win a Super Bowl slimmer than most. Also, they have a lot of impending free agents, so the landscape of the team can look much different come Week 1. While it would be a cool story, I would not consider the Steelers to be frontrunners for J.J. Watt.

Cleveland Browns

Another AFC North team that has been brought up is the Cleveland Browns, which would be an excellent fit for Watt. Cleveland has a rather young defense with a bunch of veterans coming off the books, including DE Olivier Vernon. Cleveland also has an offense already set, two defensive starters coming back from injury, and a ton of cap space right now. All this after winning a playoff game in 2020. Watt would bring a veteran presence along with his immense talent off the edge rushing the passer. I would not be surprised if GM Andrew Berry overpaid for Watt, especially after offering DE Jadeveon Clowney the most money just one year ago.

Tennessee Titans 

While it is not the perfect fit, the Tennessee Titans are dying for any type of pass rush, making Watt a no-brainer for an option. Tennessee has become one of the more consistently good teams in the AFC over the past couple of seasons but struggled mightily to get to the quarterback in 2020. After DE Jadeveon Clowney got injured, nobody really stepped up to get pressure on the quarterback all season, resulting in a below-average defense. There is a true possibility that the Titans sign Watt and Clowney, who signed a one-year deal in 2020, giving them two reliable pass rushers to support their defense. At this point, any type of pass rusher would be great for the Tennessee Titans.

Green Bay Packers

On this list, the lone NFC representative for J.J. Watt is the Green Bay Packers. Like the Steelers, the window to win the Super Bowl is closing fast since QB Aaron Rodgers is only getting older and some of their key players are closing in on free agency. The only difference is that the Packers were one game away from the Super Bowl, while the Steelers got blown out in their first playoff game. For Watt to join Green Bay, the Packers would most likely be moving on from RB Aaron Jones and/or C Corey Linsley, two key players to their offense. Plus, they have Z’Darius Smith, Rashan Gary, and Preston Smith rushing the passer already, so Watt would most likely move inside with Green Bay. While a good fit, Watt might think differently and look elsewhere just based on numbers alone.

Buffalo Bills

Out of all five teams, the team that is the perfect fit for Watt is the Buffalo Bills. The Bills, who are coming off an AFC Championship appearance after dominating the regular season, are going to be serious Super Bowl contenders without Watt. Now, imagine adding Watt to complement their dominant secondary and potent offense. The Bills pass rush is not terrible but adding Watt would give them a premier pass rusher that teams must key in on. From a money standpoint, the Bills might have their hands tied if they give QB Josh Allen a mega-deal, but that has not happened yet so as of right now, they have money to spend and have a wide-open window to win the Super Bowl. If I am J.J. Watt, I am picking the Buffalo Bills.

Info from profootballreference.com

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-By: Richie Dordas