Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsHeading into the 2024 offseason, there are a lot of uncertainties for the Atlanta Falcons. One thing we know is that Raheem Morris’ team needs a new starting quarterback, as Desmond Ridder couldn’t get the job done a season ago. While Ridder can continue developing, expecting him to suddenly come back as a player capable of leading this team to the playoffs, or even the Super Bowl may be asking too much.
Solving the team’s QB woes will undoubtedly be the team’s focus this offseason. But how will the Falcons get the job done?
The Falcons have the eighth overall pick, but each of the 2024 NFL Draft’s top three quarterback prospects is expected to be selected within the first three selections. This means the Falcons could be trying to land the next-best thing, such as J.J. McCarthy, but they’re far from the only QB-needy team this offseason.
Others, such as the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos, are behind the Falcons at No. 8, and those teams could try and get aggressive to solve their QB problems, too. Without knowing for sure who will be available in the draft, the Falcons could try to not only add another first-round prospect but they might make another contingency plan just in case they come up short of their goals of finding a long-term starter.
One option could even include drafting a first-round prospect and then trading for another young player recently selected in the first round.
Atlanta Falcons could try trading for Justin Fields and drafting a first-round QB
The top priority for the Atlanta Falcons is finding a long-term franchise quarterback. Yet, as we know, that is much easier said than done. This could lead to an unconventional approach by the Falcons’ front office, such as taking multiple cracks at solving the puzzle.
Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer outlined a scenario that could see the Falcons drafting a QB in the first-round, but still adding another young prospect. If so, some options could include trading for someone like Zach Wilson, but one key name he mentioned was Justin Fields.
This would give the Falcons two chances at solving their QB problems, with one being a lottery ticket via the draft, and the other being Fields, a 25-year-old who was the 11th pick overall back in 2021. Fields has already proven to be a capable rushing threat, but now teams want to see if they can get the former Ohio State star to flourish as a passer too.
And the Falcons, with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson, just might be the perfect place to offer a change of scenery for Fields. Not to mention, trading for Fields may only cost the Falcons something like a second or third-round pick, a reasonable price to pay for a potential franchise QB.
With less than a week to go before free agency kicks off, it appears the Falcons have plenty of options to choose from.
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