The Falcons’ head coaching search has dominated headlines, and rightfully so. Every other offseason domino is waiting for the first one to fall.
Bill Belichick seems like the top target for Arthur Blank, but the club has cast a wide net into the hiring pool, or at least publically. The Falcons have already interviewed a half dozen candidates with the same amount waiting for their interview, so there’s certainly a possibility that it’s someone other than Belichick.
Regardless of who the head coach is, arguably the biggest task this offseason will be finding a quarterback. Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke are clearly not the answers to Atlanta’s problems.
The free agent options are bleak, but the draft class is robust with potential franchise quarterbacks. The route that the Falcons end up taking will be dependent on the head coach.
As Matt Ryan pointed out, if Atlanta goes with Bill Belichick, a veteran quarterback seems more likely. And with a younger head coach, a younger quarterback makes more sense.
The Falcons own the rights to the 8th overall pick, which puts them in a position to potentially land Jayden Daniels, or the new head coach could choose to develop one of J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix Jr. in the later rounds. They also have plenty of cap space to bring in a veteran.
Another route the Falcons could go is Justin Fields. The Bears are said to still be weighing their options, but I feel safe in assuming that Ryan Poles will be taking Caleb Williams or Drake Maye with the 1st overall pick and dealing Fields.
If that’s the case, Justin Fields is much more attractive of a target than any potential free agent because of his long-term upside. My preference would be Jayden Daniels, but I would prefer Fields over Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson, depending on the Bears’ asking price.
According to Mel Kiper of ESPN, Chicago could get a first-round pick for Justin Fields. He even mentioned Atlanta’s 8th overall pick as a possibility.
REPORT: Mel Kiper Jr believes the #Bears could get a 1st round pick for QB Justin Fields.
A few teams to keep an eye on would be the #Falcons, #Raiders, #Broncos and #Dolphins. pic.twitter.com/XxZhi43E4E
— NFLCentral (@NFLTrenchBattle) January 15, 2024
If that’s the going rate for a Justin Fields trade, consider me out of those sweepstakes. That’s absolutely ridiculous for a quarterback who hasn’t developed enough in three seasons for his own organization to stick with him.
The Falcons would be better off exploring other options if that’s the case. However, I don’t think Mel Kiper is right in his assessment of what Fields is worth. 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.
Moreover, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports asked seven current GMs what it would potentially cost, and their responses are encouraging if you’re a Justin Fields to the Falcons dreamer.
- “GM one: A second-round and fourth-round pick, pending a “good finish” to the season.”
- “GM two: A second-round pick, pending a “strong finish” to the season.”
- “GM three: A third-round pick, plus another late-round pick that could escalate one round based on performance.”
- “GM four: One third-round pick in the 2024 draft, one fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.”
- “GM five: A third-round pick or a second-round draft pick for Fields, plus a late-round pick back from the Bears.”
- “GMs six and seven had the same proposal: A third-round pick, pending the finish of this season.”
Robinson added that none of the GMs put his value “in the realm of a first-round pick.” That’s a much more palatable price if you’re the Falcons. If the price is what Kiper says, there’s no reality where I’d support Atlanta pursuing a Justin Fields trade.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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