The Houston Texans drafted J.J. Watt with the No. 11 pick of the 2011 draft, but the five-time All-Pro defensive end will spend his eleventh NFL season somewhere else.
Watt’s ten-year run in Houston came to an end after the Texans released him on Friday, which was reportedly at his request.
Always a Texan. Thank you, @JJWatt.https://t.co/2RNwmXRdKZ
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) February 12, 2021
Watt, 31, has put up some seriously good numbers –101 sacks in 128 career games. He’s been the face of the NFL for the past decade, and despite some injuries in recent years, Watt played in all 16 games last season.
In a perfect world, the Atlanta Falcons could sign Watt to a one-year deal that’s team friendly, filling a major need at defensive end. In reality, the Falcons don’t have the cap space and even if they did, Watt is likely to have many other, better options to choose from.
Atlanta should still be interested, though. The team’s pass rush has been laughable since that 2016 Super Bowl run. Watt has 282 career QB hits and is only two years removed from a 16-sack season.
As general manager Terry Fontenot said when he took over, the Falcons will explore all avenues to find talent. Even if it’s not realistic, the team is preparing for each and every possible scenario. Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith were in attendance at Trevor Lawrence’s pro day this morning, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Among key figures in attendance to watch #Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence:
— #Falcons GM Terry Fontenot & coach Arthur Smith.
— #Jaguars coach Urban Meyer & OC Darrell Bevell.
— #Jets GM Joe Douglas & assistant GM Rex Hogan.
— #Panthers OC Joe Brady.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 12, 2021
Atlanta would still have to pull off some serious salary cap maneuvering before the team could make any free-agent addition. As Deen Worley broke down for us, though, there is a path to create space.
For now, Watt’s nothing more than a pipe dream for the Falcons.
[lawrence-related id=66085,66060,66062,66049]
[vertical-gallery id=63927]