The Falcons may have signed Kirk Cousins to the biggest free agent deal of the offseason, but Atlanta’s brass is still completing its due diligence on this draft’s class of quarterbacks.
It feels safe to assume the Falcons are going to be out on a first-round signal caller. However, Terry Fontenot got a front row seat to what not having a succession plan in place can result in.
Regardless of his role in the Deshaun Watson dilemma, Fontenot watched stability walk out of the door in the form of Matt Ryan, and the Falcons struggled to overcome the play of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke, which eventually ended with Arthur Smith losing his job.
Even though the Falcons have that stability back in Flowery Branch with Kirk Cousins, it’s never too early to think about a potential successor to groom behind a veteran like Cousins.
Jordan Schultz recently linked Michael Penix to Atlanta. “I think these three or four teams to watch out for Penix would be Seattle, Atlanta, potentially a sleeper would be the Rams,” Schultz said.
There’s at least surface level interest from the Falcons because they have a pre-draft visit lined up with Penix, he told reporters at his pro day on Thursday.
“Penix told ESPN that he has pre-draft visits scheduled with the Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers beginning next week,” Henderson wrote.
QB Michael Penix has a pre-draft visit lined up with the #Falcons, among other teams, he told reporters Thursday at the University of Washington pro day. More on Penix's pro day from @BradyHenderson here: https://t.co/oGvmypHZ38
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) March 29, 2024
The southpaw can absolutely spin it, evident in his 67 touchdowns over the last two years, including 36 last season en route to a championship berth. However, much has been made about his injuries, which he put to rest at Washington’s pro day.
Despite a pair of ACL injuries, Penix ran well. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, a handful of scouts clocked his 40-time at 4.56 to 4.59. That’s a good number for a guy that did most of his work from inside the pocket.
I’m not the biggest Penix fan, but I’m also not some quarterback guru. I saw plenty of inconsistencies at Washington this year. For every Texas performance that put him in the Heisman conversation, there was a game where he struggled like he did against Michigan.
If the Falcons end up believing in Michael Penix to develop him behind Kirk Cousins, I’ll be on board, but I don’t think he’d be my first choice.
—
Photographer: Jesse Beals/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.