Getty Deshaun Watson tried to recruit for the Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons may want to contend they didn’t seriously pursue Deshaun Watson, but not everybody agrees. In fact, one NFL insider reported Watson even took the initial steps to recruit a couple of playmakers to join him in Atlanta.
Those playmakers included a Super Bowl-winning running back. There was also a prolific wide receiver let go by his own team during the early hours of this year’s free agency market.
Watson reached out to potential weapons for a new-look Falcons offense, only to reverse field when the Cleveland Browns made the quarterback an offer he couldn’t refuse.
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Watson Had Ideas for His Supporting Cast in Atlanta
Watson made plans for life with the Falcons, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Those plans included corresponding with “free agents Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette about playing together in Atlanta, very possibly over FaceTime.”
The correspondence proved futile because Watson ultimately chose Landry’s former team the Browns. They gave up three first-round picks to acquire the ex-Houston Texans starter, per Adam Schefter.
Leonard Fournette and Jarvis Landry are two intriguing options who would’ve elevated the Falcons’ offense. Fournette helped Atlanta’s NFC South rival the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV after putting together a prolific postseason run that earned him the moniker “Playoff Lenny” and put him into the record books, per NFL on CBS:
Most playoff rush TD among active RB
Leonard Fournette 9
Sony Michel 6
Damien Williams 6
Raheem Mostert 5
Adrian Peterson 5
James White 5
A bruising runner, Fournette is also a more than useful pass-catcher. He tallied 69 receptions and 454 yards last season.
Fournette ultimately opted to return to the Bucs, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting it’s a three-year deal. The Falcons needn’t waste time thinking what if? Not when Cordarrelle Patterson is back on a two-year contract and Damien Williams arrived during free agency.
The picture isn’t so rosy at wide receiver, where the Falcons have lost Calvin Ridley to suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. There’s also Russell Gage deciding to join Fournette and Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
There’s a paucity of options in Atlanta’s passing game, something Landry would solve. He established a niche for making tough grabs and yards after the catch during stints with the Browns and Miami Dolphins.
Landry was particularly effective working the middle of the field on slant routes. That trait was highlighted by this Next Gen Stats breakdown of a Landry touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2021:
Baker Mayfield & Jarvis Landry (40-yard TD)
🔸 Yards After Catch: 33
🔸 YAC Over Expected: +25
🔸 Touchdown Probability: 0.8%
*Landry has caught all 8 slant route targets this season for 115 yards & TD
The former five-time Pro Bowler has even visited the Falcons, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini. It’s not clear whether or not that visit was related to Watson’s mooted arrival.
What is clear is Landry, a precision route-runner, who has twice caught more than 100 passes in a season and broken the 1,000-yard threshold three times, would have instantly become the true No. 1 wideout the Falcons need.
That possibility ended once Watson chose the Browns, although Fowler described how close the Falcons came to landing the 26-year-old: “As of Thursday night, the feeling was Watson expected to go to Atlanta. And Atlanta thought it had Watson, who was considering the pass-catching weapons who could join him there — until Cleveland came with a deal that would be nearly impossible to refuse.”
This refutes the word coming from the Falcons.
Falcons Content to Minimize Watson Interest
General manager Terry Fontenot spoke to the media on Wednesday, March 23 and downplayed the extent of the Falcons’ interest, per Fowler’s colleague Michael Rothstein:
Falcons GM Terry Fontenot again said they were “exploring” Watson.
If Watson had said he wanted to go to Atlanta, Fontenot said there were more layers they had to go through.
Fowler’s report makes it seem like the Falcons’ attempts to acquire Watson were more than merely exploratory. Instead, the franchise made a genuine play to try and get Georgia native Watson to return home.
More credence is added to this idea by what NFL Network reporter James Palmer tweeted once the Falcons ultimately missed out on Watson. Palmer’s statements were backed up by his colleague Mike Garafolo, who indicated only financial demands scuttled the Falcons’ desire to strike a deal for Watson:
The quarterback pivoted to the Browns, who met his fiscal requests with the largest fully guaranteed contract in NFL history, according to ESPN’s Jake Trotter. By opting against this choice, the Falcons settled for building an offense for this season at least with less than elite talent.