If there’s one thing I am adamant about regarding the Falcons, it’s that the club cannot go into the 2024 campaign with Desmond Ridder as the lone option to start under center. Regardless of the market, Atlanta has to be in one for a new quarterback.
It could be the draft. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye would prove costly to move up to acquire, but both seem poised to be franchise quarterbacks if they land in the right situation. It’s not as impossible as some Falcons fans think.
Firstly, Terry Fontenot has all of Atlanta’s draft capital at his disposal and a couple of young pieces that would certainly entice the Bears, Cardinals, etc. to come off of one of their selections, which leads me to my next point.
Chicago, Arizona, and any other club in a position to land one of Maye or Williams could favor their current quarterback situation — i.e., Justin Fields, Kyler Murray, etc. — over one of the quarterbacks in the draft. So though it may seem improbable, impossible isn’t the word that should be used to describe the prospect of trading up for a signal caller.
Another avenue could be free agency, but the market isn’t as ripe as it’s been in years past. Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill are the only two plausible upgrades that will be available this offseason; however, the former is the only one that intrigues me.
Another possible option is the trade market. There are not many situations arising where a superstar is forcing his way out of a city yet; there could be others, though.
Someone like Justin Fields could become available if Chicago feels they’re better off with Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. If the Bears do decide their future doesn’t involve Fields, Atlanta should at the very least inquire.
According to Daniel Jeremiah, the price would start at the Sam Darnold trade, which cost the Panthers a second-rounder, a fourth-rounder, and a sixth-round pick.
According to @MoveTheSticks the baseline for trading Justin Fields is the Sam Darnold trade – a 2nd, 4th, and a 6th. Probably more than that is to be expected. #Bears
— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) December 11, 2023
For a player with a ceiling like Justin Fields, I’m signing off on that deal every day and twice on Sunday. He might not be the Falcons regime’s cup of tea, and that’s their prerogative, but they have to put forth some sort of investment in the quarterback position this offseason. I don’t care if it’s draft picks or financial commitment, but it has to be something more than a third-round pick and a couple of deals for backups.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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