Sources - Atlanta Falcons join division rivals in pursuit of Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson

The Atlanta Falcons have emerged as a sleeper team in pursuit of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, league sources told ESPN.

The Falcons join the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns as teams that have met with or are interested in trading for Watson. Atlanta is scheduled to meet with Watson on Wednesday, a source said.

«All options are open, but it's not going to be easy,» a Falcons source said regarding a potential Watson trade.

Another source described the Falcons as a «long shot» to land Watson. However, the team still has not met with Watson but could have the chance to persuade him in person.

The Falcons have been committed to veteran quarterback Matt Ryan, but owner Arthur Blank has talked about eventually finding his successor and resetting the franchise's future. That task has been given to second-year general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith. But a source said Blank is fond of Watson from the days when the former Gainesville (Georgia) High quarterback worked multiple years as a Falcons ball boy and developed a relationship with Blank's family. Atlanta assistant T.J. Yates also has a connection to Watson, as Yates was an assistant quarterbacks coach in Houston.

The Falcons were said to have restructured Ryan's contract — trimming his salary cap hit this year from $48.7 million to $36.7 million. However, there still is no official agreement and nothing has been turned in to the NFL. If the Falcons trade Ryan after June 1, they could free up $8.75 million worth of salary-cap space. If Atlanta acquires Watson, it could seek to ship out Ryan, who has a no-trade clause, according to sources.

Watson already has met with other teams and is said to be impressed with the