The NFL trade deadline has gone and passed, and the Falcons ended up not making any significant additions.
There were rumors from the weekend surrounding pass rusher Montez Sweat. The Falcons reportedly had a third-round pick on the table at the very least, but the Bears swooped in today and offered a second-round selection.
Trade: Commanders and Bears have agreed to a trade that is expected to send DE Montez Sweat to the Chicago for a 2024 second-round pick, per sources. Sweat is in the last year of his contract, and the Commanders are opting for a draft pick now. Chicago beefs up its line. pic.twitter.com/Hd7jtqDtWY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2023
Given the Bears will be picking at the top of the draft, it’s likely the Falcons would have had to offer a first to acquire Sweat.
That was never going to happen. The Falcons have uncertainty at the quarterback position, and the upcoming draft is one of the most talented in recent memory when it comes to signal callers. They have to keep all of their first-round picks stocked until they figure out the long-term answer at the quarterback position.
Focus then turned to Chase Young, another Washington Commanders pass rusher and a former second overall pick. Rumors began to swirl that he was on the move, but this time it was the 49ers who were able to get a deal done, sending back a third-rounder for Young’s services.
Sources: Former No. 2 overall pick #Commanders DE Chase Young is being traded to the #49ers. Incredible. Likely a mid-round pick in 2024.
After dealing Montez Sweat to the #Bears, Washington now trades Young to one of the NFL’s best. pic.twitter.com/pKuCkIw39U
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 31, 2023
That one is a bit more difficult to come to grips with. Losing out on Sweat because Terry Fontenot was not willing to offer a first-round pick makes sense, but a third-rounder for Chase Young? That seems like more than fair value. Meanwhile, the rich get richer in San Francisco.
Technically, the Falcons did make a couple of moves prior to the trade deadline.
The first came a couple of weeks ago when the club acquired wide receiver Van Jefferson from the Rams. They then turned around a swung a trade with the Eagles for defensive lineman Kentavius Street following the injury to Grady Jarrett. Both acquisitions cost very little draft capital and addressed areas of need. However, neither are going to excite the fan base, nor should they.
The reality is, while the Falcons were in a position to buy at the trade deadline for the first time in years, they aren’t serious contenders. Any potential blockbuster trade they made had to primarily be focused on the future. The Falcons must have been comfortable extending Sweat until the price got too high. However, they evidently didn’t feel the same way about Young.
That’s not the worst case scenario, but if the Falcons are going to horde all of these draft picks, they better make some use of them this offseason, or there won’t be many more opportunities for Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith.
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Photo: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
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