what were The Silent Watchers?

[Lord Halsar]

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

Given the shortage of information about the fates of the Ithryn Luin, that is certainly a possibility; but I think it unlikely. Firstly, Tolkien does offer his own speculations about the fates of the Blue Wizards in Letter 211 (also cited in Unfinished Tales):

yes, but did not sauron take control of those lands? and maybe only one was caught. perhaps the other may have been tainted and placed in the watchers. and look at it this way. as you have said, "Sauron would have put them to better use than guardians of Cirith Ungol". if my theory is correct, perhaps they were like the seven dwarves. weak enough to taint, but too strong to take control of.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I think, however, that there were more than two Silent Watchers - I suppose at least two more were in Minas Morgul:

"Bad business," said Gorbag. "See here - our Silent Watchers were uneasy more than two days ago."

As we know, Gorbag was leader in Minas Morgul. These are not Shagrat's Silent Watchers from Cirith Ungol we are speaking about here.
So if the Blue Wizards were to become Silent Watchers (which I find unlikely, supported even by the evidence stated in posts above), we would need two more unknown Wizards to occupy the posts in Minas Morgul.

I am more inclined to think about the "spirits", maybe even as hwaim said even trapped spirits of someone... but if you gave me the choice, I'd most likely side with Squatter:

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

That being said, though, I think that the Watchers are more effective in their narrative context for their inscrutability. The fact of their malicious will is enough for me: I don't need to know how it got there, and the feeling of the unknown that they evoke adds to their menace. That may even be why Tolkien left them unexplained.

[Thinlómien]

Blue wizards? If Sauron had somehow managed to trap Alatar's and Pallando's spirits, would he use them to guard the tower? Surely it was an important border place, but with Shelob already there, it feels like a huge waste of resources.

In general, I think the watchers were originally "ordinary" watch statues made by Númenóreans of great craft and skills and Sauron then set some evil spirits or some of his own power in them and thus made them "alive".

[Raynor]

I think the watchers were originally "ordinary" watch statues made by Númenóreans of great craft and skills

Hm, I have trouble picturing the Numenoreans making such sculptures

Originally Posted by The tower of Cirith Ungol, RotK

Each had three joined bodies, and three heads facing outward, and inward, and across the gateway. The heads had vulture-faces, and on their great knees were laid clawlike hands.

They look as living beings twisted for some purpose - a Machine if I may say so. Such deformations of living creatures could only be, imo, an expression of evil, not one of celebrating life and positive values.