With the Texans reportedly softening their position regarding the expectations for a Deshaun Watson trade, the Dolphins could potentially meet the reduced asking price.

The Eagles, for example, have been linked to Watson for months. As they attempt to determine whether Jalen Hurts can be a franchise quarterback (last night’s game undercuts that idea), the window for a 2021 trade will be closing on November 2. That’s only five weeks away.

Related players: Tua Tagovailoa

A 17-game season makes it harder for a team to fold the tents on 2021 by the Tuesday after Week 8, the story said. Within five weeks, it’s entirely possible that one or more teams will be ready to make the move for Watson before Nov. 2, the story went on to say. With Tagovailoa dealing with an injury and Hurts struggling Monday night against the Cowboys, the story speculates the Dolphins and Eagles are teams to watch. And other teams may get involved as well.

David Culley says Deshaun Watson will NOT play Thursday.

Related players: Tyrod Taylor, Davis Mills

It probably shouldn't come as a surprise the team won't turn to Watson given his off-field issues. Taylor is likely out and Mills wasn't impressive coming on in relief in Week 2. But it looks like the Texans will make Watson inactive yet again for Week 3, and look to give Mills the start.

Texans coach David Culley tells reporters that Tyrod Taylor will start at QB, which confirms what appeared clear: Deshaun Watson will sit on the roster but not play.

Related players: Davis Mills

As expected Taylor gets the nod for the Texans. Recent reports have indicated Watson would just be inactive every week and that appears to be the direction we're heading toward. Between the baggage that comes with Watson right now, and what is said to be the Texans' high asking price, other teams don't want to make the commitment. It's probably likely that at some point this season, Mills will take over for Taylor, but it's not an ideal fantasy situation for either QB.

The Texans are not expected to trade QB Deshaun Watson before today’s 4 pm cut down day deadline, sources tell me and Tom Pelissero.

Related players: Tyrod Taylor, Davis Mills

Rapoport said barring a dramatic turn, Houston is now positioned to keep him into the regular season — at least. A story we had here at 4for4 yesterday said the team is planning to make Watson inactive every week of the season. Other suggested they could try to place him on IR, and save a roster spot. Taylor is expected to start the season at QB, but no one would be surprised to see the team turns things over to Mills at some point this year.

Texans are prepared to have Deshaun Watson on the 53-man roster and inactive every week, according to multiple league sources.

Watson, who has issued a standing trade request, would be paid his $10.54 million salary, the tweet went on to say. The tweet also said there is no deal imminent. Several reports came out over the weekend saying the Texans could trade Watson by Tuesday. Other reports say he didn't approve a deal to the Eagles and still others say he wants to go to the Dolphins. The Broncos and Panthers have also been linked according to other reports.

If the Texans plan to keep Deshaun Watson in the fold but not on the field pending the resolution of his legal issues, they need to set the stage for putting him on injured reserve. By citing injuries when he didn’t practice earlier in camp, they seemed to be doing so.

On Tuesday, coach David Culley blew a hole in that plan.

“No, he’s not injured,” Culley said. “We come up each day and we have a thing for him, and basically we got done what we needed to get done yesterday in practice.”

Culley said Watson is in the building and doing what is asked of him and should "be back out here pretty soon," according to the story. The story also added that Culley’s claim that Watson isn’t injured, if not an instance of Culley misspeaking (or inadvertently telling the truth), could mean that the team is preparing to tell Watson that it’s time to earn his money.

The biggest point to remember for now is that there’s no timeline, and that the criminal process definitely doesn’t care about the football calendar. With no team likely to trade anything of value for Watson while the criminal process is unresolved, the Texans will soon have to make a decision about Deshaun Watson’s status pending further developments.

Subpoenas are being issued for a grand jury regarding the 10 criminal complaints. As the story understands it, it’s not a grand jury that specifically has been convened for the purposes of exploring the allegations against Watson. Instead, it’s simply part of the normal process of preparing cases for potential presentation to the four separate grand juries that consider potential indictments of alleged crimes in Harris County, Texas on a quarterly basis.

The story added two primary options exist: (1) shift Watson to injured reserve and pay him not to play; or (2) tell him it’s time to start getting ready to earn the contract he was given last year, unless and until the league office puts him on paid leave. The Texans reportedly are hoping he comes to the conclusion that it’s time to suit up and play without being pressured to do so.