In typical Falcons fashion, they have made moves that have brought about polarizing opinions.
Terry Fontenot has had plenty of these moments. Making Kyle Pitts the highest-drafted tight end in league history, drafting Bijan Robinson with Tyler Allgeier coming off a record-breaking rookie campaign and Jalen Carter there for the taking, and shocking the entire NFL world by selecting Michael Penix Jr. after giving Kirk Cousins $180 million in free agency a few weeks beforehand.
This year, it was the blockbuster trade for James Perace Jr., a move that has been described as an overpay by many in the industry. Decision-makers around the league seem to have similar opinions about the transaction.
“I don’t know how many boards James Pearce was on,” one NFC executive said to The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Maybe they had to get ahead of Kansas City or Philadelphia or another team that might take fliers on character risks. It just felt like a very steep price to pay for somebody who likely would have been there in Round 2.”
Pearce’s talent has never come into question, but there were a lot of questions about his heart and desire coming into the draft, which is why he was still available late in the first round. He’s the kind of prospect a team like the Eagles, Chiefs or Ravens will take and turn into an elite player at the next level. Had one of those teams landed Pearce Jr., it would’ve been praised. Of course, because it’s the Falcons, it’s questionable.
“I’m sure the way they are rationalizing it is, ‘We gave up a first next year to get a first this year, and we basically did that for moving back from the second to the third,’” another exec said. “If you look at that objectively, it’s not as bad as it sounds. People overlook getting the third back from the Rams as part of the deal.”
This is precisely how the Falcons probably thought of it, considering Terry Fontenot could be out of a job next offseason. That might not be a great strategy for roster building purposes, but it’s the position Arthur Blank put his GM in. So if there’s anyone to blame, it’s the owner. Fontenot had conviction about a prospect and acted. The rest of the class only garners praise, though.
“I liked the Falcons’ draft other than the trades,” another exec said. “They got some talented guys and, other than Pearce, they were all seen as pretty high-character guys. Xavier Watts in the third round is really good value.”
James Pearce Jr. won’t define the Falcons 2025 season, but he can be a piece to a playoff-caliber roster, which will make the move worth it if Atlanta can break their postseason drought.
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Photographer: Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire
