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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Urben

Falcons Recap: Justin Fields rumors, Calvin Ridley trade compensation

Falcons Justin Fields Calvin Ridley Kirk Cousins NFL JJ McCarthy Bijan Robinson Atlanta Bears Curt Popejoy

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league and that’s where the focus tends to stay most of the time. When a team doesn’t have an established quarterback in place, it becomes a bit of an obsession for both the fans and the media.

The Atlanta Falcons have struggled to find a QB over the last two offseasons, but they’re expected to take another swing at it in 2024. February is one of the quietest months for NFL news, but the quarterback talk has been heating up for a couple of weeks.

In today’s Falcons recap, we look at some of the recent QB rumors, NFL odds for 2024, and what’s going on with Calvin Ridley‘s trade compensation.

Justin Fields unfollows Bears, Falcons become betting favorites

Fields downplayed the fact that he unfollowed the Bears on Instagram, saying he just needed a break from all the NFL talk while he goes on vacation. You can understand where Fields is coming from since NFL analysts have been debating his future every day for months. There was also a lot made out of the fact that he follows Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts on Instagram, but Fields has followed them all for some time.

Despite this, the oddsmakers recently made the Falcons the betting favorites to land Fields this offseason. Check out Fields’ odds to play for all 32 NFL teams HERE.

Would Kirk Cousins be a good fit in Atlanta?

Cousins will turn 36 before next season begins, but would the veteran QB be a good fit in Atlanta? When healthy, Cousins has been extremely consistent during the regular season. Would the Falcons be willing to pay up for a short-term solution? ESPN’s Matt Bowen thinks so:

The Vikings should be in the mix to re-sign Cousins, but I think he fits really well with Atlanta under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson (who worked under Sean McVay in Los Angeles). It works well for Cousins in both the play-action and dropback passing game. – Matt Bowen, ESPN

J.J. McCarthy: Could Falcons draft him at pick 8?

J.J. McCarthy is the prospect that nobody can seem to agree on this offseason. After leading Michigan to a National Championship, McCarthy declared for the NFL draft and is expected to be a first-round pick. Where in the first round will he go, though? The Falcons have the No. 8 overall pick and we’re seeing McCarthy be projected to go higher and higher.

While his numbers at Michigan weren’t overly impressive, the team’s run-first offense played a big role in that. We’ll see how things shake out after the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

Falcons unlikely to receive 2nd-round pick for Calvin Ridley

As we examined earlier this week, the Falcons are unlikely to receive a second-round pick from the Jaguars as compensation for wide receiver Calvin Ridley. While it’s still possible that Jacksonville will extend Ridley before the new league year begins on March 13, the Jaguars can simply avoid this by waiting until the 2024 league year begins and then re-signing. In this case, the Falcons would receive Jacksonville’s third-round pick.

Falcons pass on Bijan Robinson in 2023 NFL redraft

Would the Falcons still take Bijan Robinson if the NFL held a redraft of the 2023 class? Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy went in a different direction in his recent feature. Instead, Draft Wire has Atlanta selecting Wake Forest defensive tackle Kobie Turner:

It was tough to pass up Bijan Robinson here to the Falcons again but Kobie Turner was just too much of a disruptive force on the Interior defensive line — Curt Popejoy, Draft Wire

Robinson falls to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at pick No. 19 in this redraft. The rookie running back finished the season with 976 rushing yards, 487 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns.

7 QB prospects the Falcons could target in 2024 draft

From Caleb Williams to Spencer Rattler, we look at seven potential draft targets at the quarterback position for Atlanta. The Falcons currently hold the No. 8 overall pick, which means they would likey have to move up if they want one of the top three. READ FULL ARTICLE

We’ve heard plenty of speculation about Kirk Cousins, but CBS Sports highlighted another possible Falcons offseason target. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is officially set to hit free agency. Does Atlanta make sense?

Mayfield mostly proved he still belongs as a starter, pairing trademark toughness with improved decision-making to post career numbers and earn his first Pro Bowl nod. He certainly profiles more as an overachiever than a difference-maker, but in a league where only a small handful of QBs are truly transcendent, he deserves a hefty raise. – Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports

Mayfield finished the 2023 season with career-highs in touchdowns, passing yards and completion percentage.

One free agent target for each NFL team

In our recent NFL Network feature, all 32 site editors named one potential free-agent target for their respective teams. For the Falcons, I chose cornerback L’Jarius Sneed:

While the Falcons need a quarterback, the draft seems like a better option than signing either Baker Mayfield or Kirk Cousins in free agency. Instead, the team should look to upgrade its defense. Atlanta’s secondary made strides in 2023 but with Jeff Okudah’s future up in the air, signing someone like Sneed makes a lot of sense.

Which Falcons will be free agents in 2024?

Calais Campbell, Cordarrelle Patterson and Jeff Okudah headline Atlanta’s top free agents this offseason. Click here for the full list of Falcons free agents for 2024.

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