A surprising new team has emerged in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes.
The Falcons could make a trade with the Texans for Watson, according to ESPN.
That would be a complete shock. For starters, the Falcons have been saying they are committed to Matt Ryan as their franchise quarterback -- and the recent restructuring of Ryan’s contract appeared to be a signal that they were expecting Ryan to stick around.
There’s also the reality of the Falcons’ salary cap situation: Trading Ryan after his restructured contract but before June 1 would give the Falcons a $55.5 million cap hit, and then they’d have to add Watson’s $35 million salary to their cap as well. It’s possible that the Falcons and Texans could agree to the trade now but not execute it until after June 1, when the Falcons’ cap hit for trading Ryan would drop to $27.9 million.
It’s also possible that the Falcons are showing interest in Watson more to drive up the price the Panthers or Saints would have to pay for him in a trade than because they really want him as the replacement for Ryan.
Whatever the case, it’s a surprising report, but a reminder that there’s still room for something unpredictable to happen with Watson.