Everyone and their mother knows the Atlanta Falcons are looking for a quarterback this offseason.
It’s just a matter of who they target. Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot have acknowledged the organization has a Plan A, B, C, and D for the months ahead, but it’s clear what their preference would be.
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.
And most recently, Jeremiah sat down with Tori McElhaney and Terrin Waack and furthered the narrative that the Falcons prefer to find the long-term answer.
“I’ve been told that the Falcons want to find their guy for the next 10 years. They want to find their Matt Ryan. They want to find that next guy to roll with,” DJ said.
However, that may not be in the cards. The Falcons very well could watch the top three quarterback prospects go off the board in the first three picks. If that’s the case, the options become limited. Either they draft one of J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix or Michael Penix, trade for Justin Fields, or sign one of the veteran free agents in Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, or Russell Wilson.
Falcons fans have their preference as each option presents different strengths and weaknesses. With that being said, how Atlanta’s quarterback situation shakes out should impact Arthur Blank’s, the Falcons’, and fans’ expectations.
For instance, if Kirk Cousins joins the team in free agency, everyone should have the highest expectations. The veteran is easily the best option among those expected to be available if the Falcons want to be as competitive as possible in 2024. To put it bluntly, if the Falcons sign Cousins, Atlanta should expect to win the division.
I’d say expectations should be in the same ballpark if the club ended up with Baker Mayfield too, while someone like Russell Wilson should make the Falcons competitive but not favorites to win the NFC South.
On the other hand, youngsters like Justin Fields or any of the soon-to-be rookie quarterbacks should bring different expectations. The Falcons shouldn’t acquire one of Fields or one of the draft prospects and expect to make the postseason. The hope is they’re the long-term answer, but that might not necessarily result in immediate success.
The Falcons seem to be open to adding a number of different signal callers; each of whom bring a different set of skills and expectations with them.
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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
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