Things remain the same more often than they change. This means that the Atlanta Falcons will face a fresh offseason full of speculation about a long-term quarterbacking solution as well as further insights from an unidentified executive. The most recent comes from The Athletic, which conducted a mock selection of the top 10 picks by polling six NFL general managers and executives.
In the mock draft, Atlanta chose Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner over quarterback Russell Wilson, who was just released by the Denver Broncos. At least one executive believes experienced assistance is on the way. One of the executives asked, “You can’t take another offensive skill player, can you?”
“I don’t see them signing Russell Wilson, so I don’t really see a quarterback.” They have the option to corner, but I’ll give them a pass rusher instead.
Over the course of 15 games last season, Wilson, 35, completed 66.4 percent of his throws for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Denver stated on March 4 that Wilson will be released on March 13, the start of the new league year. However, Wilson has been given permission to initiate negotiations with any teams that show interest.
If Wilson receives less than $39 million from the team that contracts him, the Broncos will be responsible for covering the entirety of his deal. Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowler.
Wilson is essentially expected to sign for the $915,000 league minimum and have Denver pay $38.085 million in exchange for supporting his new team. The Falcons are mostly associated with two quarterbacks who are currently in the league: Chicago Bears signal caller Justin Fields and Minnesota Vikings free agency Kirk Cousins.
According to those who participated in The Athletic’s survey, Atlanta will continue with the veteran option and get a replacement under center through free agency or trade. As a result, signing Cousins or Wilson makes sense, however a team executive suggested going with a younger player. According to an unnamed general manager, “They are the most likely to trade to 1 and get Caleb Williams, or trade for Fields.”
With the top pick in the draft right now, the Bears are anticipated to trade Fields and choose Williams. At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Atlanta and Chicago had a meeting; however, it’s unknown how far their talk got.
Still, the Falcons have more alternatives as the legal tampering window opens on March 11 and free agency starts at 4 p.m. on March 13. Even though the identity is unknown, Atlanta seems to be heading along a path that will eventually lead to a seasoned signal caller.
