The Falcons enter the offseason with one singular goal — upgrade the quarterback position.
It’s the single biggest priority of the new regime. Hell, if Arthur Smith had better quarterback play last year, Raheem Morris wouldn’t even be the head coach in Atlanta. Now, his and Terry Fontenot’s job is to improve it.
The expectation is the Falcons will try like hell to trade up the NFL Draft. Last week, Steve Wyche and Daniel Jeremiah stated that they believe Fontenot will be aggressive in trading up the board.
In an interview with 92.9 The Game’s Dukes and Bell, Wyche doubled down, telling the hosts that Justin Fields and Kirk Cousins aren’t the Falcons first options.
“I was told the Falcons will be aggressive. The aggression will be going up and drafting their QB. I don’t think Justin Fields or Kirk Cousins are their first option.” @wyche89 to @putemupcdukes @MikeBellATL
— DukesandBell929 (@DukesandBell929) February 26, 2024
Ironically, Peter King opened the door to a potential trade too. In his retirement column, he stated he believes the Bears will trade the No. 1 pick. It makes sense too.
It is in the best interest of the Falcons to find their franchise quarterback in the draft. It’s obvious why. A rookie contract is the single most valuable thing in the NFL. It would give Fontenot financial flexibility to surround that signal caller with as much talent as possible.
It’s a great Plan A — trade up for one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. However, the Falcons have to have a Plan B, and Raheem Morris acknowledged as much today at the NFL Combine.
Raheem Morris:
“We have so many avenues because we have free agency money. You’ve got option A, B, C, D. I’ve surrounded myself with 19 quarterback coaches on my staff.” pic.twitter.com/PvJcJGgRP1
— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) February 27, 2024
It’s pretty funny that Morris said this because I was writing this piece with or without the quote.
The Falcons have to have a concrete backup plan if trading up in the draft falls through because getting stuck without a competent signal caller shouldn’t be an option.
The team currently sits with around $40 million in cap space, so even the most sought after free agent — Kirk Cousins — is within reach. The reassurance is nice for Falcons fans, but it’s expected.
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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
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