Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen are reporting that the Falcons have emerged as a “sleeper team” to acquire Texans QB Deshaun Watson.
According to the report, the Falcons join the Panthers, Saints and Browns as teams that have met with, or are interested in, trading for Watson.
Schefter says that Falcons owner Arthur Blank is fond of Watson from the days when he worked multiple years as a Falcons’ ball boy and developed a relationship with Blank’s family.
Dianna Russini adds that Watson has interest in the Falcons and has even reached out to the team personally.
There were reports that the Falcons restructured Matt Ryan’s contract, but a recent report said that nothing has been finalized yet and they would only do so if they need the cap space. This keeps some options open for them in regards to Ryan.
Teams have been meeting with Watson in recent days as he sorts through his options.
The expectation is that Watson will prioritize the best opportunity to win and the fact that he has a no-trade clause should help him land where he wants.
Even so, the Texans still want a trade package that consists of three first-round picks and other draft capital and players.
Several teams have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Watson in recent days including the Saints, Panthers, Browns, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Eagles, Steelers and Vikings.
Watson, 26, was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson by the Texans. He signed a four-year, $13.854 million with the Texans that included a fifth-year option around $17.3 million for the 2021 season.
The Texans signed Watson to a four-year deal worth as much as $177 million heading into the 2020 season, paying him $39 million a year.
In 2020, Watson appeared in all 16 games for the Texans and completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns.
We’ll have more on Watson as the news is available.
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