In a recent interview, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot didn’t shy away from questions regarding the club’s top priority this offseason.
“Yeah, we won’t close any doors, Steve. You’re right, that’s the top priority for us this offseason,” Terry Fontenot told Steve Wyche about the quarterback position. “We’re not going to close any doors, be it trades, free agency, the draft. We’ll make sure we keep an open mind there, and we are going to attack it and get it right.”
Falcons owner Arthur Blank also echoed similar sentiments.
“It’s very clear to everybody — all of our fans, all of you, anybody throughout the NFL — is that this is a position that we need to figure out how we’re going to get better in 2024 and beyond that as well, whether that be trades, free agency, the draft, whatever it may be,” Blank said.
The Falcons must upgrade the quarterback position, or Terry Fontenot will be looking for a new job, and Raheem Morris won’t be too far behind him. The good news it shouldn’t take much to upgrade from Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, two of the worst quarterbacks in the league from last season.
How the Falcons upgrade is the bigger question. The draft is undoubtedly the most desirable avenue. A quarterback on a rookie contract is extremely advantageous, but there might not be one available when the Falcons are on the clock at pick #8 that is ready to start right away.
As Alex has mentioned several times, double dipping into the quarterback market might be the best course of action for the Falcons. Drafting a guy to sit behind a veteran, and there are not many better veterans to learn from than Kirk Cousins.
Cousins was playing the best ball of his career before going down with an Achilles injury last year. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects his market, but most still expect him to garner a 2-3 year deal in the $40 million AAV range. The Falcons would have to move some money around to make a deal like that work, and it wouldn’t leave them with much room to maneuver. But when it comes to competing next year, I don’t think there’s a better option than Kirk Cousins.
When asked about Cousins impending free agency, NFL insider for The 33rd Team Ari Meirov stated, “I think it’s the Vikings or Falcons for Kirk Cousins.”
“I think it’s Vikings or Falcons for Kirk Cousins.” 👀
Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) discusses Kirk’s future with @PFF_Sam & @PFF_Steve 🤔 https://t.co/e7xR5ia3w2 pic.twitter.com/Ty5z6sae6j
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) February 16, 2024
People have suggested Cousins’ family ties to Atlanta and other nonsense as potential reasons he could end up with the Falcons.
But the real reason he could be under center for the Falcons next season is that they desperately need a quarterback, have an owner that wants to win now, have the cap space to acquire him, and he’s a perfect fit in Zac Robinson’s offense.
The Vikings may have to make a decision between paying Kirk Cousins or Justin Jefferson. If that’s what it comes down to, keeping Jefferson in-house should be their top priority, giving the Falcons the perfect opportunity to land Cousins in free agency.
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Photographer: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire
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