Report: Watson meeting with Browns, Falcons
The Cleveland Browns are meeting with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on Tuesday about a potential trade, a source told The Athletic's Jeff Howe.
The Atlanta Falcons have also "emerged as a sleeper team" for Watson's services, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen. The quarterback, who grew up in the Atlanta area, will meet with the Falcons on Wednesday, reports NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The Texans reportedly prefer to trade Watson to an NFC club, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano. The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints have apparently already met with Watson, while Houston reportedly denied the Indianapolis Colts' request to speak to him.
The Browns' leap into the Watson sweepstakes comes as a surprise with the team already having Baker Mayfield under center. General manager Andrew Berry said earlier this offseason that he fully expects Mayfield to be the team's 2022 starter.
Mayfield is coming off a poor 2021 season that was ravaged by injuries and inconsistent play. He completed slightly over 60% of his passes for 17 touchdowns to 13 interceptions while posting a 6-8 record.
The Falcons are in the process of restructuring quarterback Matt Ryan's deal but haven't yet submitted the official agreement to the NFL, Schefter and Mortensen add. The restructure would increase Ryan's dead-money hit in 2022 to $55.525 million and likely prohibit a move for Watson.
If Atlanta landed Watson, the Falcons could look to ship out Ryan, who has a no-trade clause.
Meanwhile, Watson has been looking to change teams since last offseason. His trade buzz has picked up after a Houston grand jury decided last week not to indict him over allegations of sexual assault.
The 26-year-old signal-caller has a no-trade clause in his contract.