Falcons Take a Home Run Swing on Day One

Image via Matt Ludtke, AP Photo

By Lucas Kochevar

The Atlanta Falcons made the biggest move of the day as they signed the best quarterback on the market. Kirk Cousins is an Atlanta Falcon. It’s shocking as a fan of the team. The rumors were swirling around the combine, but it still seemed far-fetched. As an Atlanta sports fan, I never celebrate until the clock hits zero. The Falcons haven’t officially announced the signing, so I’ll keep the champagne on ice for a little bit longer. Still, the Falcons have sent the message. They’re in win-now mode. 

The Falcons were, somehow, in position to win the NFC South by the end of the season, but they clearly weren’t going to. The quarterback play was the reason. There were other smaller variables that contributed to losing, but the erratic quarterback play is the biggest reason. Cousins is coming to Atlanta to be a steady player at the most important position. He’s coming off an achilles injury at age 35, but it’s important to remember that it’s not the dark ages and modern medicine does wonders. The Falcons still have some moves to make, but getting the quarterback out of the way is a major step forward. 

The other interesting quarterback domino to fall was Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh. I’m as skeptical as they come with Wilson. People have been asking “Why don’t people like Russ? He had productive stats!” My gut tells me the actions that others have taken with Wilson tell the story. The Seahawks never wanted to give Wilson free reign over the entire offense. They sold him off to Denver and made the playoffs with Wilson’s backup. Denver got him and flamed out horribly, Nathaniel Hackett shares the blame too. Lastly, there was the fiasco to end this last season with Sean Payton. 

Top decision makers in the NFL act on their egos a lot and it wouldn’t shock me if the politics and egos were the reason Wilson had a turbulent couple of years. That doesn’t absolve Wilson of being guilty. I say all that to highlight the downfall of Wilson and why he’s earning the veteran minimum in Pittsburgh. I think he’ll be fine in Pittsburgh, but fine doesn’t add Super Bowls to one of the most historically relevant franchises in history. If Wilson is the reason that Mike Tomlin has his first under-.500 season, I think he’ll be on the fast track to retirement. 

These are only a few of the moves that I found interesting at the beginning of free agency. There’s many more guys to highlight and teams that know a better path heading into the draft.