The Atlanta Falcons were reported to be one of two finalists in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes -- until Watson's apparent course reversal sent him to the Cleveland Browns.
And, according to a report, the Falcons had interesting plans to build something of a superteam of brand-name skill players around Watson in the event he had chosen Atlanta as his final destination.
On Saturday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Falcons were indeed planning to sign wide receiver Jarvis Landry and running back Leonard Fournette if they had completed the Watson trade.
Fowler's scoop appears to comport with previous reporting by uSTADIUM, which on Friday also tweeted that the Falcons were moving to bring in veteran wide receiver A.J. Green.
Landry, a five-time Pro Bowler, spent each of the past four seasons in Cleveland -- Watson's new home -- before his release earlier this month. Fournette, like Landry a standout at LSU, hit free agency after latching on with the Bucs for their Super Bowl run, while Green, a former Georgia Bulldogs star, is also a free agent after one season with the Arizona Cardinals.
That supporting cast, complemented by budding superstar tight end Kyle Pitts and running backs Cordarrelle Patterson and Damien Williams, would have given Watson an impressive array of weapons at his disposal in the ATL.
Instead, the fates of those players is now uncertain after their apparent bid to unite around a star quarterback in a new locale -- not unlike Tom Brady in Tampa -- seems to have fizzled.
Watson is no doubt a polarizing figure given the legal situation that has hung over him since March 2021, but Falcons fans may be left wondering "what if" for a long time to come.
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