The Falcons made an unprecedented decision to draft Michael Penix with the 8th overall pick less than two months after signing Kirk Cousins to a lucrative $180 million free agent deal.
For a roster with holes on the defensive side of the ball, it puzzled many. The vast majority of people still haven’t come around, and it’s fair. The Falcons totally mismanaged their resources; there’s no two ways around it.
However, if everything works out like Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot believe, it’ll be the Falcons who get the last laugh. Getting a few seasons of competitive football out of Kirk Cousins and smoothly transitioning to the franchise’s next long-term signal caller who elevates the offense is the ideal scenario.
If it goes as planned, nobody will remember the Falcons’ “misallocation” of resources. It’ll be about how the Falcons zigged while everyone else zagged. Ryan Leaf is already dubbing it a success, telling Kay Adams that Atlanta is playing chess while others are playing checkers.
https://twitter.com/UpAndAdamsShow/status/1792948239412367420
My biggest issue isn’t the Falcons plan; what’s done is done. The craziest thing everyone is just assuming is that Michael Penix is the second coming of Patrick Mahomes.
The numbers say that only two of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy, and Penix will work for their respective clubs. Remember that historically great 2021 quarterback class?
Trevor Lawrence hasn’t lived up to his lofty draft status. Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones, and Justin Fields have been traded for nothing more than a bag of footballs and currently reside as backups in their respective situations.
What’s more likely than Michael Penix turning into a franchise quarterback is that his fate is the same as Wilson, Lance, Jones, and Fields. I sure as hell as hope Penix turns into a Hall of Famer, but assuming he is going to be a hit is foolish.
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