A Bleacher Report article posted on Saturday listed the Falcons as a top landing spot for Raheem Mostert. It caused some buzz in the Atlanta sports community on Instagram and Twitter, but after careful thought, here is why the Falcons shouldn’t have any interest.
The RB Room is Full Enough for Now
In free agency, Atlanta landed Todd Gurley after letting go of Devonta Freeman, and he’s rumored to be healthy. If this is the case, Mostert would not see the field as often as he believes he deserves. Brian Hill and Ito Smith are also competent backups who are more than enough to come in when Gurley is on the sideline resting, and Qadree Ollison showed his worth in short-yardage situations last year. Mostert would pressure Atlanta into cutting one of these three players, which would be a mistake for how cheap their contracts are.
He will ask for too much
The reason Mostert requested a trade from San Francisco in the first place is because he wants a raise. The Falcons do not have much cap room to share, and spending it on an RB2 would not be an intelligent use of that space.
Trade Compensation for the 49ers
The Falcons not only have to be willing to pay Mostert more money than is already on his $2.76 million contract this year, but they will also have to give up assets to the 49ers to acquire him. Atlanta is not in a position to make a trade right now. This offseason was about filling in holes on the defense and the offensive line. Nobody on this roster jumps out as trade bait, especially when you are making a move for a running back. The Falcons should keep their draft picks unless packaging them for a star. Those will be needed to bolster the defense over the next year or two while the Super Bowl window is still open.
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