Most pundits have praised the Falcons signing of Kirk Cousins, many dubbing it the biggest move of the offseason.
Throwing that kind of money at the best quarterback available shouldn’t really be thought of as the ‘smartest’ move, though. Similar to the Dodgers throwing a small country’s GDP at Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Falcons shouldn’t be garnered as offseason geniuses for having the gumption to throw the most money at the top offseason target.
No, they should be heralded as brainiacs for another move, according to Bleacher Report, bringing Zac Robinson over from Los Angeles and away from half a dozen other clubs vying for his services.
The Atlanta Falcons’ decision to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract might wind up being their best move. However, he does come with some risk since he’s coming off a torn Achilles.
The Falcons’ shrewdest offseason addition is their new offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson. Even the most productive quarterbacks need a system that fits their strengths and play style, and the Falcons checked that box for Cousins with Robinson.
Over the last two years in Minnesota under head coach and offensive play-caller Kevin O’Connell, Cousins threw for 47 touchdowns and 19 interceptions with a 67.1 percent completion rate. Before tearing his Achilles last season, Cousins threw for 291.4 yards per game through eight contests, the second-highest average of his career.
Like O’Connell two years ago, Robinson comes from Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay’s staff to work with Cousins as a first-time offensive play-caller.
Don’t expect Robinson to copy and paste O’Connell’s offensive system in Atlanta. But Cousins’ recent production with one of McVay’s former assistants bodes well for his ability to pick up the Falcons’ new offensive scheme fairly quickly.
The former Rams quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator was the cycle’s hottest offensive coordinator candidate, and he turned down more than a handful of opportunities to follow Raheem Morris to the Falcons. Atlanta’s new head coach compared his offensive coordinator to some of the greatest offensive minds in the game today — Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.
“I was around the young Kyle Shanahan, and I saw him develop. I saw Sean McVay when he was really young, and I saw him develop. Start naming names – Mike McDaniel, Steve Sarkisian,” Morris said. “I see Zac Robinson and I see him in the same light.”
Yes, the team needed a significant upgrade at the quarterback position, but I always argued the architect of the offense, whether it be a coordinator or head coach, was the second most important task for Terry Fontenot, Arthur Blank, and the Falcons. They knocked it out of the park.
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Photographer: Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire
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