The Falcons made a bold move this offseason, knowing the backlash they’d be facing. Raheem Morris took over for Arthur Smith and his goal in Atlanta was immediately clear — fix the quarterback position. The new Falcons head coach and Terry Fontenot targeted the best possible option on the free agent market, inking Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal.
It immediately made the club relevant in the national spotlight, with many dubbing the Falcons postseason contenders and NFC South favorites. However, all of that momentum came to a screeching halt when they took Michael Penix Jr. with their top draft pick.
It threw Falcons fans, national pundits, and everyone associated with the NFL for a loop. The idea is crystal clear — never go through what Atlanta went through with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder ever again.
There’s a ton of risk, though. The Falcons are banking on Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix being professional and making the most of this situation. They’re also banking on Raheem Morris, along with the team’s leaders in Chirs Lindstrom and Jessie Bates, being able to steady this ship through inevitable rough seas.
CBS Sports learned that the Falcons are willing to risk that internal rift to find stability at the most important position in the sport.
They’re willing to risk internal division to get results under center. After settling for post-Matt Ryan options under Arthur Smith, the Falcons went all in on an upgrade, paying good money to Kirk Cousins before using a top-10 draft pick on Michael Penix Jr. If just one pans out, a playoff race is probable.
The Falcons have a solid foundation to cultivate a healthy dynamic. Cousins is a consummate professional, and Penix is seemingly cut from a similar cloth. Moreover, the culture within Flowery Branch is already good.
However, there will be an eventual succession from Cousins to Penix, and that will not be easy. The Falcons better hope they can successfully navigate that transition, or it could get ugly.
—
Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.