Despite what outsiders may think, the Falcons have done their due diligence on available quarterbacks.
Atlanta interviewed all of the top prospects in the draft, and I’m positive they checked in on any quarterback that was available in free agency or via trade. They are well aware that they don’t currently have a set in stone franchise signal caller at the moment, and until they do, they will constantly be monitoring the market. However, to this point, they haven’t found a better option than Desmond Ridder, who looked decent in his four-game mini-audition last season.
The second-year product out of Cincinnati may not be respected by many in the national media, but the Falcons seem convinced he could potentially be the next long-term answer in Atlanta. Everyone in the organization–from the owner to the coaching staff–has voiced their confidence in Ridder going into the season, but for some reason, members of the national media aren’t buying their praise.
Most recently, Marc Sessler of NFL media wrote a piece highlighting the biggest offseason priorities for all 32 teams, and his one for the Falcons involved a trade for a quarterback that many others have linked to Atlanta.
Top priority: Ponder a swap for Ryan Tannehill
The Falcons bear the mark of a rough-and-tumble, fun-to-watch offense. Sign me up for Sunday afternoons starring Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier bashing their way through cowed defensive fronts. Heavy spending on both sides of the ball has this roster ready to compete in a weakened NFC. Ownership on down has backed the concept of Desmond Ridder at the motherboard, but he remains a projection. I remain attached to the idea of Atlanta swinging a trade with Tennessee for Arthur Smith’s pal Tannehill. One of the game’s grittier passers would fit right into an offense that has the feel of Titans 2.0.
I find this take–and Ressler is far from the only person to suggest the Falcons should trade for Ryan Tannehill–to be lazy.
There is a connection between Arthur Smith and Ryan Tannehill from their days in Tennessee. During that time, the quarterback of the Titans had career years, winning AP Comeback Player of the Year and making his only Pro Bowl in 2019. However, he’s set to turn 35 years old, and at this point in his career, he is what he is.
Tannehill might be enough to help the Falcons win the NFC South, but that’s not really saying that much. He’s not going to help the Falcons to a Super Bowl, and you could make the argument Atlanta could win the division with Ridder under center.
There were some other quarterback options the Falcons could have turned to this offseason that would make sense now and in the future. Tannehill isn’t one of them. He’s an aging quarterback that isn’t worth the financial commitment or draft picks it would take to acquire him. The Falcons are a rebuilding team that is looking for a long-term answer at the quarterback position. Adding a stopgap option like Tannehill instead of seeing what they have in Ridder makes little sense.
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Photo: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
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