Falcons owner Arthur Blank referenced the Chiefs’ Alex Smith-to-Patrick Mahomes baton pass in February, when discussing his team’s quarterback situation. Blank appears interested in his franchise traversing such a path.
The Falcons hold their highest draft choice since selecting Matt Ryan 13 years ago, and NBC Sports’ Peter King reports Blank is “fascinated” by this year’s top crop of quarterbacks. The prospect of the Falcons capitalizing on their rare top-five pick to acquire Ryan’s heir apparent has factored into Blank’s thinking here.
[RELATED: Teams Expect Falcons To Draft Kyle Pitts?]
While the longtime Atlanta owner could throw his weight around and insist his new regime go for a quarterback at No. 4 overall, King adds that Blank will not push Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith in a direction. Smith is also believed to be intrigued by this QB class, King notes, but the first-year Falcons HC also believes Ryan still has quality football left. When a report surfaced indicating Smith and Fontenot disagreed on how the team should proceed with the No. 4 pick, Smith was said to prefer drafting a non-quarterback. Fontenot, however, was believed to be leaning closer to the Falcons indeed selecting Ryan’s successor.
Despite a subsequent report indicating Smith and Fontenot came to an understanding on what they will do at 4, Blank and his new GM being linked to QB interest could throw a wrench into this year’s draft. The Falcons are entertaining all options at 4 and have received calls. Should they select a quarterback, not only would this be the first draft ever to begin with four straight QBs being chosen, but the rest of the QB-seeking lot — a list that includes several teams — would be down to one of this year’s top five passers for which to vie. This would apply pressure on the likes of Denver, New England, Washington and Chicago.
The Falcons sent three staffers — assistant college scouting director Dwaune Jones, QBs coach Charles London and passing-game specialist T.J. Yates — to Trey Lance‘s second pro day, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. They also sent the maximum three staffers to Justin Fields‘ second pro day last week. While the 49ers will control which quarterbacks are available for the Falcons at 4, the latter team could follow San Francisco’s QB pick with one of its own.
I am fascinated by Kyle Pitts not being a lock at 4.
The only way I wouldn’t want the Falcons to go for Pitts is if they traded out of the pick.
In fact, I am hoping the Falcons can trade down twice. First time would be a few spots to 9, so the Broncos can move up and get a Drew Lock replacement. Then drop down again to 16 so the Cards can get Surtain.
They can add a tremendous amount of capital in doing so, and also possibly decrease the rookie contract amounts. No need to get all the draft capital this year.
I just feel like the Falcons need youth and a talent influx at so many positions not to take advantage of teams wanting to desperately move up. They might be able to shore up the running game with Harris there, grab a corner or LB, or maybe even one of the ends and still get some good players with the other picks.
Sadly, I was hoping that Mac Jones would fall to the Falcons, but it doesn’t appear likely and the other QB’s that might are projects that rely on athleticism. That’s a great combo but rarely do they learn to read progressions if they can’t already, and the athleticism typically wains in the mid to late-20’s due to the impact of all those hits and injuries. Even those that looked like absolute beasts there first couple of years rarely last long past their rookie contracts.
Yeah, the Smith to Maholmes plan was a great model. I can understand the interest, except there won’t be a Maholmes at #4.
You draft a QB in Atlanta, you mess it up. It’s the only boneheaded choice they can make. Anything else helps.
People call it a “model”, but really it was just a great pick. It can’t be a model until it’s used repeatedly, and can’t be great until it’s successful repeatedly. Note, this isn’t an argument with you necessarily, mostly with how it’s become some sort of studied term.
Your point that there won’t be a Mahomes at four is the critical piece of information. I agree entirely. There’s also one other piece-Andy Reid and the Chiefs’ roster aren’t there at four, either. It worked for KC because Mahomes is a unique talent, and because KC was the right place for him to grow. Where a guy goes is just as important as who the guy is.
I totally get what you’re saying about the model phrasing, and I don’t disagree. Be it excellent scouting or maybe a little luck, KC did as well as anyone could by getting Maholmes.
You do bring up an excellent point about the roster, too. That’s why I don’t understand the QB consideration here. Atlanta has so many holes, a young QB just isn’t going to do well. They sit behind Ryan a year, probably struggle for 2 or 3 more with a bad roster, then you’re almost at extension time. Unless you’re sitting 1 where you could get Lawrence, I just don’t get it.
I agree, and I could extend that logic to several teams, in my opinion; Denver and Carolina being two of them. Atlanta has the advantage of having a HoF level career type of player in Ryan (not putting him in, just noting his numbers are on that level) who individually played well last year, even if the team did not. They have no urgency at the moment, so there’s no need to force anything.
At number four, they also have the luxury of allowing some other team to force itself into a QB pick, and could make a deal to trade down. Thing is, Atlanta’s line is also in need of an upgrade after a few recent years of solid play. There’s been some turnover there that they could address, in addition to considering a WR or TE (Pitts really is just a big WR in all honesty). They have options, and it sounds like Smith is inclined to roll with Ryan for a year, but who knows. Good take, Outlaw.
The Chiefs traded up for Mahomes. He wasn’t just waiting for them at ten. Great talent evaluation by Reid’s braintrust – to know it was worth jumping up to get Mahomes.
True, but again, it’s not really a model. Still a great pick. Half of developing a QB is realizing how your organization will fit him and adapting where it is necessary, the other half being of course that the player must be worth the adaptation.
Mahomes likely wouldn’t be what he is today had he been picked by, say, Jacksonville. The point is, of course, that the “model” is not really a model. It was just a great pick. Sitting a year didn’t magically make Mahomes better. It was the coach, the organization as a whole, and the player himself. Teams trying to emulate that need to understand that fitting players into models doesn’t work most of the time because each player needs different things from a team and each team itself is only able to offer different things to a player.
Teams are really overvaluing qbs this year. It doesnt matter how good the qb is. They cannot overcome a poor team around them. Even if you put Mahomes on the Jaguars or Jets , they would still only win 4-6 games because the team has no talent around him and no offensive line to protect him. Lawerence and Wilson are walking into disasters
Agreed, but I suppose we will see. The Jags have spent the last few years building draft value, but I don’t have much confidence in Meyer as the answer. Lawrence may be All-Pro or not, but he needs a team around him-and much more importantly, the right staff.
The argument is definitely there to trade a top three pick for three firsts if you don’t have a really solid offensive line. Putting rookie QB’s behind second rate offensive line has not worked out well (Cleveland drafted four saviours from number one or number two, Giants have Daniel Jones struggling, Jets had to dump walking wounded Sam Darnold).
Calm down, Arthur Blank.
Your team seems poised for mediocrity for the near future.
Plenty of chances to get a high pick.
No the Matt Ryan model works too. Take the best QB in the draft. Don’t take the 4th best. If the 4th best was taken in like… the 3rd or 4th round okay, not 4th overall.