It didn’t matter if the Falcons hired Raheem Morris, Bill Belichick, or Jesus Christ himself as head coach. The most important decision was always going to be at the quarterback position.
It has plagued the organization since Matt Ryan and ultimately cost Arthur Smith his job. Desmond Ridder was given the reins with no prior proof he could become a franchise quarterback; there was no competition. Taylor Heinicke immediately opened his time in Atlanta by announcing his role was to back up Ridder.
Arthur Smith proved he could coordinate a successful offense in Tennessee with a decent quarterback. He deserves the end result because he made the bed, but nobody could’ve succeeded with Ridder. That isn’t going to change with a new coaching staff either.
Raheem Morris and Zac Robinson will need to find a signal caller that fits the timeline of the team as well as the scheme. Arthur Blank wants to win right now, but he clearly is thinking further down the road than just 2024, or he would’ve hired Belichick.
At this point, it seems unlikely that the Falcons overdraft one of J.J. McCarthy, Micheal Penix, or Bo Nix at the 8th overall pick. If the draft goes quarterback, quarterback, quarterback, a top five talent will fall into Atlanta’s lap.
That would mean the pro personnel side of things is the Falcons other option. Terry Fontenot can either sign a free agent like Kirk Cousins, who isn’t a long-term solution but gives the Falcons the best chance of winning right now, or trade for a talented, yet underachieving youngster like Justin Fields, who might not give the team the best chance to win in 2024 but might prove to be the long-term solution.
Most, including myself, believe the Bears will trade the Georgia native in favor of drafting Caleb Williams, which would put Fields on the market. The all-important question is how much will it cost?
Bill Barnwell of ESPN explored the Bears’ offseason options, including a Justin Fields trade, here’s what he said about the potential price for the Falcons:
The Falcons have the eighth pick in the draft, as we discussed earlier, and their young players are too valuable to go back to the Bears in a Fields deal. The Falcons have their own second- (40) and third-round picks (74). They also have a pick coming from the Jaguars as part of the Calvin Ridley deal, which will be a second-rounder (48) if Ridley signs an extension with the Jags or a third-rounder (79) if Ridley doesn’t re-sign with the team. I wonder if Atlanta would be more likely to send the 48th pick if it lands it from the Jaguars; if not, the two third-round selections might be the middle ground that makes sense.
A second-rounder from the Calvin Ridley trade would be a palatable price, but a couple of third-rounders would be better. Barnwell seems more aligned with what the actual price will be rather than what Bears fans think Justin Fields is worth.
He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract, which means the Falcons would hypothetically have to make a decision on the fifth-year option. Moreover, he hasn’t developed as many had hoped. There’s a lot of risk in the trade.
I seriously doubt the Bears garner multiple second-round picks as some Bears fans have hypothesized. The Falcons certainly shouldn’t entertain a deal like that if it does come to fruition.
—
Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.