In the wake of the grand jury decision not to level any criminal charges against Deshaun Watson despite civil suits and 10 criminal complaints from women who allege sexual misconduct, trade interest in the quarterback has started to heat up.
The Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks have expressed the strongest interest in Watson, two people with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the situation. Other teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could wind up joining the pursuit of the three-time Pro Bowl selection.
The Houston Texans resisted the urge to trade Watson last year after he remained adamant that he no longer wanted to play for the team because of displeasure with ownership and management. Texans brass insisted on commanding a rich bounty of draft picks for Watson, whom they drafted 12th overall in 2017 and then in 2020 signed…