The Atlanta Falcons seek to lift themselves from the doldrums they have found themselves in throughout the tenure of the previous regime. Under the three years of Arthur Smith, they were only successful in making Jeff Fisher nostalgic as they chalked up three consecutive seven-win seasons.
Despite the high expectations set by making the Tennessee Titans one of the most efficient offences in the NFL, Arthur Smith failed to replicate this in Atlanta. His time as the Falcons head coach will be known for an inability to get the most out of his star players and a seemingly stubborn approach to his Quarterbacks.
To anyone who paid attention to the NFC South last year, it was clear that poor quarterback play prevented the Falcons from being a playoff team and winning the division. The team finished with a 7-10 record and was at one point 6-6 before a late-season collapse. This was despite fielding Desmond Ridder who performed as one of the worst starting Quarterbacks in the league and is destined to be a career backup.
But Smith’s insistence to stand by Ridder was his undoing as the rest of the roster couldn’t maintain their strong play, finishing the season losing four of their last five games. This included heavy losses to the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. It was clear that the team had quit on their head coach, and when that happened the writing was on the wall, Smith had to go.
Arthur Smith believed that his system could elevate the quarterback and that the offensive talent on the roster would suffice. Smith could point to his time at Tennessee where Ryan Tannehill was brought in as a backup and led the team to the AFC Championship.
The issue with that though is that Ryan Tannehill played at an elite level during their time together. A level that Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder couldn’t get close to replicating. Smith was given his marching orders following the conclusion of the season, with Desmond Ridder not far behind. The Quarterback was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for the now-injured wide receiver, Rondale Moore.
Incomings
The Falcons found themselves in a fortunate position where the path forward was simple. Unlike in other situations where a fired coach can lead to a rebuild the Falcons only really needed a legitimate quarterback to be competitive.
There was a reason why their general manager Terry Fontenot was kept on while Arthur Smith was let go. He’s done a good job in regard to acquiring talent. This offseason's main objective was clear; secure the quarterback position.
The Falcons attacked this problem through multiple avenues. They signed Kirk Cousins in free agency, who is the best quarterback to hit the open market since Kirk Cousins did back in 2018. Then in the draft, much to the shock of all, they drafted Michael Penix Jnr with the 8th overall pick.
While many are baffled by the decision to spend such a valuable pick on a quarterback when they just signed one to a large contract, you can’t say that they aren’t trying to fix the problem.
Another branch on the McVay tree
To replace Arthur Smith, the Falcons brought in former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who was one of the most sought-after head coaching candidates in this offseason cycle.
Morris was previously employed by the Falcons before his tenure in Los Angeles where he coached in a variety of roles. This included being the defensive coordinator, assistant head coach as well as being a coach on the offensive side of the ball.
In moving from LA to Atlanta, Morris also brought with him Zac Robinson to be his offensive coordinator, implying that the Falcons will be running a McVay-style offence.
Other Reinforcements
Along with Cousins, the Falcons got a major boost to their offence, bringing in the likes of Darnell Mooney. At least on paper, the Falcons have one of the best groups of offensive weapons.
Following the first-round surprise of Penix, the Falcons heavily targeted defence in the remainder of the draft, using their next four picks on that side of the ball. From round two till four they drafted defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro, Bralen Trice, and Brandon Dorlus while taking linebacker JD Bertrand in the fifth.
Expectations
The NFC South and a playoff berth should well be in the Falcon's sights for this upcoming year. While many criticize Cousins for not being an elite QB, he will raise the floor of the offense. Players such as Drake London and Kyle Pitts can finally showcase their abilities as they will finally have a passer that can target them accurately.
Despite winning the previous three division titles, no one believes that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be contending for the Superbowl. They were a feel-good story last year with the redemption of Baker Mayfield, but if the Falcons want to be considered contenders, then they shouldn’t pose a threat.
Elsewhere, the Carolina Panthers are still lamenting trading up for Bryce Young, when not doing that would’ve likely gotten them Caleb Williams. The New Orleans Saints reside in financial purgatory. A prison of their own doing following a decade of kicking the can down the road in regards to their cap space.
Even though the Falcon's main focus for the offseason was on addressing the Quarterback room, it is still the main area that could affect the team negatively. Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles and he will be 36 once the season begins.
Due to this and the fact that he’s joining a new team, his performance to start the season could be underwhelming. Now this could only turn into a major issue if they had a young quarterback waiting in the wings that they invested significant draft capital into.
The drafting of Michael Penix Jnr has already cast doubt over Cousins’ performance before the season has even started, adding unnecessary pressure to a player that the team handed a massive contract to.
There is a lot to look forward to for Falcons fans. They can finally see competent offensive football. Their stars should start fulfilling their potential and Tyler Algier should be taking fewer snaps away from Bijan Robinson.
But at the back of their mind, they will fear it all coming apart at the seams. All stemming from the pressure brought upon by a self-inflicted draft pick who, if all goes according to plan, won’t even see the field until 2026.
