Cousins stunned Falcons took Penix (4 Viewers)

[Rouxble]

I mean, when you really think about it, the Falcons were 8 minutes and 11 points from being an 11-6 team. They lost 4 games in the last minute by 3 or less points. They were a much better team than we give them credit for..*slightly throws up in mouth*

I think the Falcons suffer from the same issue as us when it comes to looking for upsides in an otherwise down season, their schedule was among the easiest in the league. I do think Cousins makes them a much tougher opponent this season, but I also think they should have followed through with that all-in investment and gotten another difference maker before considering their QB room 3-4 years from now. Plenty of QB's show up to the draft appearing to have all of the tools, but for a variety of reasons they don't measure up when tested against NFL competition.

It just doesn't make sense, the Falcons made the biggest win-now move in free agency and followed it up with a maybe-win-later move. It honestly helps us more than it helps them.

They’re looking two years out when all those young weapons will be in their prime. Also short term insurance for an old guy with an Achilles.
Wish Saints had drafted a good QB in Brees last two years, although Penix injury prone himself.

Short-term insurance for a guy with an Achilles should be a veteran backup if they are trying to win now. I agree on the Saints, but that goes back to us already having a strong team in place to hand over to the next guy. The Saints had a .792 regular season win percentage over Brees' last three years while the Falcons haven't had a winning season since 2017. The Falcons strength is all on paper until it turns into results.

 

[jahsoul357]

I think the Falcons suffer from the same issue as us when it comes to looking for upsides in an otherwise down season, their schedule was among the easiest in the league. I do think Cousins makes them a much tougher opponent this season, but I also think they should have followed through with that all-in investment and gotten another difference maker before considering their QB room 3-4 years from now. Plenty of QB's show up to the draft appearing to have all of the tools, but for a variety of reasons they don't measure up when tested against NFL competition.

It just doesn't make sense, the Falcons made the biggest win-now move in free agency and followed it up with a maybe-win-later move. It honestly helps us more than it helps them.

Again, their offense wasn't the issue, per se. If you look at the construction of the Falcons, they needed more on the defensive side of the ball. You know my view of QB development, so we won't go there but we laugh at this pick but we will more than likely get burned by it, again, because Penix might have been the best actual QB out of the draft. They can still be in win-now mode and still acknowledge the future.

 

[Rouxble]

Again, their offense wasn't the issue, per se. If you look at the construction of the Falcons, they needed more on the defensive side of the ball. You know my view of QB development, so we won't go there but we laugh at this pick but we will more than likely get burned by it, again, because Penix might have been the best actual QB out of the draft. They can still be in win-now mode and still acknowledge the future.

They could have traded back and picked up a few defensive playmakers if they didn't feel a defensive player was the right value at 8, I think they ultimately wasted a valuable pick and are outsmarting themselves.

Speaking of QB development, with the way this league works there is no guarantee that the Falcons will have the same coaching staff (or front office) by the time they pull Cousins for Penix. Having years in the system won't matter when it's a completely new system and Penix isn't the new coach's/GM's QB.

 

[B4YOU]

Here is my justification (reach) for why the Falcons took Penix:

• Falcons may have Penix as QB2 and the #6/7 player.
• Falcons know they are losing a 1st or 2nd round pick next year because of tampering.
• Cousins contract is 2yr-100M and will be 38 in 2026.
• Needs of DE/DT/CB go pick 15/16/22 and there isn't trade down value offered. See the Bills and Viking trades for minimal costs.

Falcons get ahead of the 2025 QB need by taking QB3 and BPA when there was no value to move down and knowing they will lose a 2025 late 1st or 2nd round pick. Atlanta avoids going into 2026 with no future QB and no pick to solve it.

If the Saints didn't have desperate need at OT and a QB fell, then taking QB would be heralded as a great pick.

 

[jahsoul357]

They could have traded back and picked up a few defensive playmakers if they didn't feel a defensive player was the right value at 8, I think they ultimately wasted a valuable pick and are outsmarting themselves.

Speaking of QB development, with the way this league works there is no guarantee that the Falcons will have the same coaching staff (or front office) by the time they pull Cousins for Penix. Having years in the system won't matter when it's a completely new system and Penix isn't the new coach's/GM's QB.

Trade back for what? They have 3 day 2 picks and the majority of what was taken in the 1st round was offense. There is plenty to choose from. I can understand thinking that they wasted a pick because of Cousins but they picked one of, if not the best, QB out of the draft and Cousins might be a very expensive 2 year bridge.

Regarding development, as long as Morris is the coach, he will probably try to keep things very similar. As I mentioned before, everybody mocked the Falcons for the Morris pick, but I was worried about either him or Belichick going there because they would fix their defense. Morris will continue to pull from the same "tree" and I doubt we see much variance.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

“YOU DONT LIKE THAT !!!”

 

[sfidc3]

I don't think it's an insanely bad pick, because Cousins is really on a 2 year deal potentially and if they really think Penix is going to be great (I don't) and they got their QB for the next 10 years then....ok.....

But, Penix's injury history makes me think it is not a good decision....

 

[parlorcitysaint]

I do believe that as long as he's with the falcons, I'll choose to pronounce his name as if it rhymes with phoenix...

 

[BBarnes]

They can still win now. I mentioned earlier that they lost 4 games last season by 3 points or less with the defense giving up game winning drives with less than a minute to go. They are better than we think. This benefits Penix and the Falcons in the long term because he can come in and learn the nuances of the game without being thrown to the fire.

I do not think the Falcons suck, but I also know you cannot base anything off how many games they lost last year by X amount of points to determine anything. They did what bad teams do, they found ways to lose against what started out as the weakest schedule in the NFL heading into the 2023 season by most. Some had their schedule at number 31. So, yes, they lost a decent amount of close games against a historically bad schedule.

If they are really trying to be a contender right now, it's a questionable pick. If they just want to contend for the NFC South with Cousins and prep for the future then it's a good pick. My only thought was, signing Cousins says compete now for the NFC South and try to make a deep playoff run now and this pick contradicts that completely.

 

[BBarnes]

Penix is no where near ready to start right now so I highly doubt that.

Let me say, I did not mean this the way I worded it. I was saying he is not ready to play right now for a team like the Falcons. While I do think they are setup nicely because they have a top 5 offensive line, I am not sure they have the coaches in place for a rookie QB to be successful. I personally believe Penix would be best served sitting behind someone and I think he will do that for 2 years in ATL barring some type of injury to Cousins.

In order for Penix to be successful right away, I think he would have had to go to a team that is more soundly setup than any team in the NFC South is currently.

I am also aware that I could be completely off base and wrong. Would not be the first time and surely would not be the last haha

 

[Mojomajik9]

This is legit a pick that I'm worried about long term. I know folks don't like what I said earlier but tape don't lie. Dude is probably the top 2 best QB in this draft (when you take away "highlight" plays and just look at the position) who was already better than the others at the actual aspect of playing to position, who gets to grow and develop. People are talking about this one but this is a long-term move on their part.

Yeah I agree Penix has a shot to be special. But I think what has people scratching this heads is if they only wanted a rental QB for this year why invest that much in Cousins? Just ride with Ridder.

I mean what if Penix comes in and looks amazing. Are they going to just sit him for two years because they’re paying Kirk a shirt ton of money? It’s a weird decision that could fracture a locker room.

 

[Jesse Custer]

I was watching Brett Kollmann and EJ from Bootleg Football and they put forth an interesting theory: that the penalty for tampering with Cousins is likely to be a first round pick for next year and they were scrambling because they had no succession plan if they couldn't draft a QB next year. So they reached for Penix knowing they couldn't get someone of his quality next year with no first-rounder.

 

[saint_drago]

Lol this is great.

"Why did you just draft a QB? I just gave Kirk Cousins a lot of money. I thought I made it clear I would like to win now and rise up."

"Well we thought this guy was good at playing QB as well."

"But we already have one."

"Yeah but see, now we have two."

 

[Infoman]

 

[Hubig]

Never Trust a man who looks like he could have been an extra for an unaired episode of Buffy the Vampire slayer.
Arthur Blank