The Falcons will be in the market for a quarterback this offseason.
Regardless of who is coaching the team as Arthur Smith is embroiled in job security questions, Terry Fontenot will be looking for the club’s next signal caller. With an arsenal of draft picks and plenty of financial flexibility, there’s really no internal limitations.
The draft has three franchise-caliber prospects in Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels. All will require the Falcons to trade up in the draft, but again, the club has only accrued draft capital since the new regime took over. There’s plenty in the war chest to make a move.
There’s a few options on the pro personnel side of things too. Justin Fields is likely going to be available via trade as the Bears reset with a new rookie quarterback at the top of the draft. The Georgia native makes sense on paper, but his contract complicates things.
Moreover, if Arthur Smith is coaching for his job next season, he’s probably not too keen on putting his eggs in another inexperienced quarterback’s basket. That brings us to the final avenue the Falcons could take — free agency.
Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and Ryan Tannehill are options, but another seems set to hit the open market — Russell Wilson.
Russell Wilson is expecting to be cut by the Denver Broncos in March, per league sources. For almost two months, the quarterback has been starting knowing the organization was most likely going to move on him from after this season.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 28, 2023
There are certainly desirable and less-than-desirable things to consider when discussing a Russell Wilson-Falcons pairing.
Firstly, the price should be extremely palatable. Denver is going to pay him nearly $40 million, regardless of where he plays, so the Falcons could get him on a very cheap deal and spend elsewhere. Secondly, on paper, the fit works out. He’s mobile enough to run Arthur Smith’s offense and has experience in a run-heavy system.
However, his personality might not quite mesh with what Arthur Smith wants in the locker room. Moreover, Wilson’s game has certainly taken a step back since his Seattle days.
There’s plenty more to talk about a Russell Wilson-Falcons pairing, and we do on the latest episode of SportsTalkATL. Check out the YouTube video that is linked below!
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Photographer: Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire
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