The Falcons have a big question to answer this offseason. With Raheem Morris in the fold, the club will now have to figure out the quarterback position.
Morris and Zac Robinson will certainly influence Terry Fontenot and the front office, but it will ultimately be Arthur Blank’s decision. The options aren’t quite as robust as once thought to be, and there are virtually no candidates that can fill the long-term and short-term needs.
Kirk Cousins would satisfy the short-term requirements of competing right away, but he’s 35 years old and won’t be around very long. J.J. McCarthy is an intriguing candidate for the long-term but certainly wouldn’t provide a lot of value immediately to compete in 2024.
There are really only two prospects in the draft that could be a franchise quarterback and also help the Falcons be competitive this season — Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Jayden Daniels would be a home run of a draft pick, but he could use a season to sit and learn behind an established veteran.
However, the likelihood that one of the three is available is beginning to look like a pipe dream, but at least one NFL pundit is trying to keep Falcons fans hopeful. On the Move The Sticks podcast, Lance Zierlein relayed a conversation he had with an NFL evaluator that Drake Maye could fall.
“I talked to an NFL guy today who thinks that (Drake) Maye could be the guy who falls in this draft. He (NFL evaluator) compared him to (Will) Levis,” he told Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.
Zierlein doubled down on the idea of Maye falling in his latest mock draft. The Bears select Caleb Williams followed by the Commanders choosing Jayden Daniels, and the Patriots passing on a quarterback altogether. Eventually, Maye falls to the Chargers at the 5th pick, which is where the Falcons trade up to land their franchise quarterback.
Head coach Raheem Morris has plenty of offensive weapons, but he needs someone to run the show. Maye was inconsistent last season, but he has fantastic traits and a high upside, so Atlanta makes a move for the QB.
This would be a dream come true. Terry Fontenot should move mountains if that is the case, but I really feel like this isn’t realistic. I don’t want to be a wet blanket, though. So, I’ll just sit here and be naive, dreaming of the Falcons landing Drake Maye.
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Photographer: David Jensen/Icon Sportswire
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