When they inked Kirk Cousins to his massive $180 million deal, the Falcons signaled to the rest of the league that they believe they are contenders.
Expectations have been raised tremendously for Raheem Morris and the team this year. Atlanta’s new head coach was expected to improve upon his predecessor’s lack of success, but there was no reason to believe he could accomplish that if not for an upgrade at the quarterback position.
However, now that Terry Fontenot went out and got Morris the best quarterback on the market, the bare minimum in Atlanta is a postseason berth. Honestly, the Falcons would have fallen short if they didn’t experience some semblance of success in the playoffs, and it looks like it’s trending that way right now.
Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this piece, there’s still plenty of offseason left for Fontenot to improve the roster, including another top 10 draft pick. However, the team looks very similar to the same ole Falcons — a lot of offense and question marks on the defensive side of the ball.
Kirk Cousins’ Falcons look eerily similar to Matt Ryan‘s Falcons. Those teams that would lose 48-45 and regularly put Ryan in a position where he’d have to put the team on his back and put together a game-winning drive. Yeah, those teams.
The defense is missing a reliable pass rusher more than anything. The team is returning nine total sacks from its edge unit. Arnold Ebiketie is a former second-round pick, and the hope is that he can become a double-digit sack pass rusher, but hope isn’t a strategy. Lorenzo Carter also shouldn’t be expected to be anything more than he’s been in his career, a rotational player. And DeAngelo Malone has yet to really even garner considerable playing time.
As of right now, the group looks to be a serious weakness. The Falcons haven’t had a consistent pass rush in what feels like a lifetime, and that won’t change without an influx of talent.
Again, the draft could bring a potential star pass rusher in the form of Jared Verse or Dallas Turner, but the window to compete begins immediately. Relying on a rookie to shoulder the load of a pass rush isn’t wise. Very rarely do pass rushers come in and immediately turn into a star. That’s reserved for the likes of Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, etc.
I’m not saying that Turner, Verse, or Latu can’t become that kind of player, but it’s not wise to hope they can with a window as small as the Falcons have with Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons have to improve the defense before Week 1, and there’s reason to believe they will with plenty of offseason left, but the market for proven pass rushers is dwindling quickly.
If they don’t add some talent at the edge and cornerback positions, the result with Kirk Cousins will be the same as they were with Matt Ryan.
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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
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