Could Falcons’ aggressive pursuit of upgrading QB room backfire on their playoff chances?

With OTAs over and training camps still weeks away, plenty of questions are circling the NFL. Charles McDonald is tackling them this summer.

After floundering at the quarterback position for a couple seasons, the Atlanta Falcons decided enough was enough and made some major investments at the position this offseason. First, they signed free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a deal with $100 million guaranteed before selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick in the 2024 draft. The belief is that the talented skill players Atlanta has stockpiled over the past few years will finally be able to flourish with Cousins at the helm.

If Cousins is healthy, that should happen. Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts can be the core of a good offense in the NFL, but it’s certainly fair to wonder if the Falcons have a good team — and if their pursuit of quarterbacks severely handicapped their ability to maximize the roster.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

A lot has been said about the Falcons’ plan to acquire both Cousins and Penix in the same offseason. That’s an unusual strategy that hasn’t been used in the NFL partly because of the assets required to get both of them. Cousins’ contract instantly made him the highest-paid player on the team with a $25 million cap hit in 2024. If everything goes well with Cousins this season, that means Penix won’t play at all and the Falcons will get no value from a top-10 pick this season — a scenario the team is obviously prepared for.

Using that pick on Penix meant they couldn’t upgrade other areas of their roster for a potential playoff run, which really may hinder their efforts to win the NFC South this season. The Falcons sacrificed depth (and a potential immediate starter) to set up their quarterback room in this manner. Atlanta’s defense could have really used an infusion of talent, especially considering they were already a thin unit. Former defensive…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/could-falcons-aggressive-pursuit-of-upgrading-qb-room-backfire-on-their-playoff-chances-140002192.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-07-03 14:00:02

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.