What are the Atlanta Falcons doing? 

If I was Penix I'd be so mad. Most pro-ready guy in the draft, *6* year college starter, a bit older for it, and now he's gotta sit for possibly three years, not get anything on tape towards a possible second contract until then.

An absolutely baffling move on so many levels. Imagine having an aging QB with injury concerns and using your first pick to draft the oldest, most injury prone QB coming out of college and planning to sit him for several years first haha.

Falcons screwed up raiders board. That’s what falcons are doing

That’s almost as bad as Jerry trading for Trey Lance. Giving away a 4th round draft pick just so you can pay Trey an about 8 million dollars and watch him walk out the door after next season with Trey not even getting onto the field!

Worst pick a team in this position could make. Pick 8 you either need to trade down for a lot of capital or pick up another crazy weapon like rome or o linemen. The falcons were only a 2-3 moves away from being a team bowl contender if everything flows well and they gave that all up drafting Penix. As a packers fan, J Love is amazing but, when you are just pieces away from a win now situation you have to go get those pieces and stop worrying so much about the future

I liked Penix, but this pick was moronic AF. We had so e holes to fill for a playoff run. Our best returning edge has 6 sacks when the league leader has 17.5. WE'RE GARBAGE. Author Smith: I wasted a 3rd on a QB Raheem Morris: Hold my beer.

If they cut Cousins after year 2, they essentially pay him $150mil for 2 years... And Pennix will be 27 years old then lol

This is a momentum killer for Penix playing career

This may be similar to the KC Chiefs situation with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. Alex Smith was a proven, legit winner. He was consistent. The Chiefs won right away and consistently BUT Mahomes upside was worth drafting him. Atlanta will win right way but the franchise QB is waiting in the wings. Waiting 1 year will end up benefitting Pennix and the Falcons in the long run.

Kirk been playing his whole career like this is a business.... Welcome to the other side of that Kirk

Had me dying laughing as a saints fan

Apart from anything - I think this was the best thing that could happy for the Raiders. It took all the shiny distractions off the board. So we could FINALLY start to focus on best available - which is the ONLY long term way to do it. No trading up. Trading down in Round one where possible to accumulate late RD 1 and RD 2. Its is the moneyball way to win it and its a multi-year project.

That trade up too was mind boggling. That GM is delusional 😂

I like Kirk and I like Penix, but this has to be one of the dumbest moves I've seen a front office make. The GM wants to have his cake and eat it too- he brought in Cousins to save his job but in the process has totally sabotaged the team building process. Feel bad for Penix especially here.

There are enough differences with the Jordan Love situation to the point where you can’t really call someone a hypocrite if they were fine with/more understandable of the Jordan Love pick in 2020, and not a fan of the Penjx pick. Love was 3 years younger, and considered a project QB, Penix is a ready now QB. Love was a late first rounder, not pick 8. That would be similar to GB having a top 10 pick in 2020 & drafting Tua or Herbert, which I highly doubt they would have done. Also, when Love was drafted, Rodgers had guaranteed money for 2 more seasons, not 4. Plus, Rodgers had been there is whole career. Kirk Cousins just got there. You were more certain what you were getting out of Rodgers, and if things faded quicker than expected, dead cap isn’t an issue. Sure, the end goal is the same: continue to compete now, and have a plan for the future, but there are definitely some differences with the selection process.

To me, the mistake was not taking McCarthy.

It would've made sense if Falcons signed Kirk to a potential out after next year. Drafting Penix wasn't the mistake...the mistake is the "Guaranteed" part of Kirk for multiple years.

You make awesome content dude! I appreciate you!

Packers also have 3 good tackles, every wr, and other expensive positions on cheap deals so yea having love on a cheap deal is better but if they are getting production out of rookies consistently maybe its better to have security with the QB and keep other players around him rotating on rookie deals.

If they just signed a vet like Tannehill on the cheap, gave Kirk's money to other needs, and stood pat they'd have put Penix in a position to go win some games for them this season.

They also draft another running back when they have 2 really good ones already

Everyone's whining because they think Kirk Cousins is going to play like Tom Brady till he's 40? 😂😂

Thought experiment: if Caleb Williams dropped somehow and the Falcons picked him, no one would be scratching their heads. This is because part of the confusion is Penix’s value at 8 overall.

Cooking😅

I like the penix pick, just not with the cousins signing. You're paying a ton of money to kirk and getting no benefit from the rookie QB deal, its just dumb cap wise. If they knew they were drafting penix, they should've just traded for fields or any of the other cheaper QBs that were available.

BAD comparison between Love and Penix. Firstly, Aron Rogers had been a fixture on the team for over a decade. They didn’t just bring him in and sign him to a big contract, unlike Cousins. Secondly, I’m sorry but the 8th pick is much different than the 26th pick in terms of value, especially when the falcons had their choice of defensive player, particularly a lineman, a huge area of need or traded down to a team that actually needed a qb like the raiders or Broncos. Thirdly, the packers, at the time, were perennial playoff contenders, so for them, Love was somewhat of a luxury pick. The Falcons however, NEED to add premier talent to the field NOW in order to reach the playoffs. They can’t afford to have a blue-chip talent holding a clipboard for 2-3 years.

See, when the chips are down no one really believes in "best player available" drafting and defaults to "draft for need." Sure, maybe you can say Penix wasn't the BPA, but the counter argument is still the Falcons had other NEEDS, players they could've had to help Cousins now. Another team that did BPA was the Packers and everyone is slamming them, yes Jordan Morgan was the BPA according to Gutekunst board. The draft is about getting filling needs 2-3 year from now according to the BPA model, right? Well the Falcons are in the right here, 2-3 years from now QB will be a need and they're hoping they won't be as high as 8 in 2-3 years and so filled that future need.

Jordan love was drafted late in the 1st round, it was time to eventually replace Rodgers.

Spotrac is also great for cap information

all these ppl just mad.. Great pick Falcons. falcons fans love the pick I'm a falcons fan what are you talking about TFOH

Possible Krueger video Putting a TOP salary cap on the players.....there is a bottom salary cap IMO the TOP salary cap should be 10% of the teams CAP money for that year. The CAP team money for 2024 is $255 Million....so, the TOP QB salary should be $25.5 Million. The $50 and $60 Million money for the QBs is robbing the other team players of $20 to $30 Million, as there is a limit on the money in the Cap bucket. The bottom player's cap should be increased to $2 Million.

25 million is basically no money if Pennix is starting on a rookie deal.

The Falcons have to hope Kirk Cousins fail after two years in order for Penix to take over. Also, it's clear Terry Fontenot doesn't believe addressing the pass rush is a priority.

You should have waited on this vid until they passed up on Newton lmao. I hope this works out for them, because the GM is gone if it doesn't.

I don't think signing kirk was a mistake either. They trotted Marcus Mariota, Taylor Heinicke AND Desmond Ridder. this year we HAVE to make the playoffs or Terry is likely gone! Kirk gives Terry some more time, and then raheem comes in, you draft Penix for a succession plan and now you've convinced Arthur Blank that you have a short term and long term solution to QB. If they would've signed Jacoby, or Gardner over Kirk and STILL couldn't get to the playoffs then Terry is out of the building. it still gives the team the best chance to get into the playoffs. I think Penix will be a great qb, but we have no clue if the rookie can take the team to the playoffs year 1. Terry and Raheem are confident about building a sustained winner, they think that this will be the last time they'll be picking in the top 10 for the foreseeable future. Take one of the higher qb's in this deep and talented qb draft class and increase your window. its a gamble, but if it works falcons will be in the thick of it in nfc for a while

Should have traded for Justin Fields when they had the chance

Nah it was a fine move. Did they overpay Kirk if he's just going to be bridge QB, sure. Did they waste their 1st round pick if Kirk balls out and stats healthy, sure. But first round picks are massively overvalued and the money isn't nearly as bad as people are reacting if it's to find a top 10 QB. Also all it takes is for Kirk to fall off or get injured and this is instantly a savant move.

I think the Falcons saw what the packers did and want to get in on it. They are gonna have Penix sit for 3 years and he might be the best qb out of the class when he starts because of it.

does he not have a no trade clause? this would make sense with drafting penix...

I agree. Very odd moves by the Falcons! I feel sorry for both Cousins and Penix. Falcons could have used a top player on defense.

what does everyone keep bringing up age for like qbs aren’t playing to 40+ more and more. they’re getting hit less and less.

This GM and coach duo knows what they are doing! Two bright minds, articulate and leader of men. We have Kirk and he is also, 36 (soon), had a non-contact Achilles injury last year and we have to have a plan. We did not have a plan after Matty Ice left, so this was the right move. Lets go baby! Bright minds baby.

sign an injured QB lets draft an injured QB lets dance on the sidelines in the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl like the game is over

None of the bridge qb I heard of are any where Kirks level,

Is it 25 million even if they cut Kirk post June 1st 2026?

If Penix ends up being a great qb all these people will stop crying. If this guy is the future and he’s planned to sit then clearly the falcons aren’t focused on winning it all next season or even the one after. By the logic they still have 2 offseasons and 2 more drafts to fill the other holes by the time Penix is expected to start.

Al davis inspired pick

If penix was 21 with the same attributes then i would like the move. But he’s 24 and probably won’t improve a lot like Love did who was 20.

Only time will tell but this reminds me of a typical business model study where the company has resently spent a significant amount on a machine and shortly is faced with the realization that a newer machine that just came out that is significanly more productive and can increase their profits by a significan amount but the recently acquired machine works perfectly well - what do you do? You look at the bottom line and if all the facts are correct, you replace the machine with the newer inovation and sell this less effecient machine to the highest bidder, even at a loss if this doesn't negatively affect the bottom line analysis. In Atlanta's eyes, Penix represents the more productive machine. This effectively makes Cousin a bridge QB, not what he was banking on.

Loved the move … $25 mill dead cap is pennies Jackson … so in effect it’s a two year deal and Cousins is average

This is what Ryan Pace does

The Falcons front office is just pathetic. Do just stupid shit.

Yes of course drafting pennix is great if you dont sign Cousins, that's the whole point why it was a terrible pick. If you didnt sign Cousins I would say it was an A plus pick, but since you just signed Cousins it is a D- pick.

what happens if kirk tanks on them and they play penix early?

They have to have a QB for the future kirk is 35.

Cousins has torn his achilles. So it's insurance. Just like Kirk was drafted behind RGIII. So he should inderstand.

The falcons are a punchline

I don’t like it. Weird vibes all around. Not fair to Kirk, his career, his legacy, or his family. His reputation is ruined now basically. No way he’s getting another contract with another team (on par with what he’s used to). No way he chooses the Falcons if he knew this was going to be the case.

Looking for a new GM soon.

teams are willing to eat up dead money.

That QB is old and injury prone…Why is it a bad move…I mean both are injury prone…so at the end good move…might need both ..but gonna pay alot

Raiders and the Falcons need a Kirk Cousins trade. I know he was the first QB on Davante's FA list.

Kirk has a chance to win a chip he better stfu and win

Atlanta is about to get penalized upcoming draft picks and you waste one on a qb

Penix Jr is better than Kirk right now… they should’ve signed Russ for 1 year

Atlanta is set at qb their in a wonderful situation idg why people tripping, MPJR is gonna sit for 3 years and his chance go up look at GB, they did it when brett was to Aaron and now love good qb play while you build your team

What they always do is nonsense as usual.

As a falcons fan I’m disappointed. Author Blank is looking/acting more like Joe Biden these days

So, what happens when the Falcons find out that Penix is already better than Cousins except obviously the experience factor? Do they play Penix and sit a very expensive QB?

being selfish so nobody else drafts him, i pray yall end last in your division 😁

I was not that impressed with Penix tape against Michigan. We also don’t know whether he stays healthy.

Jordan love wouldn’t be the QB he is now if you play him his rookie year. In hindsight the packers did the right thing drafting him and having him sit behind Rodgers regardless of how much it pissed rodgers off. Idk why you’re dumping on this pick so much. Your take is stupid and shortsighted saying drafting love was a bad idea at the time. In hindsight at this moment it looks like a genius move. There was a risk involved with drafting Love a QB I didn’t even like going into the draft. There’s a huge chance that 4 of these QBs drafted in the top of this years draft completely suck and the teams that drafted them are in the same situation they were in on draft night in 3 years. I think letting Penix sit and get his feet wet is a better idea than tossing him into the fire and putting him under incredible pressure right away. The mental part of the game is a huge part of it and there is no way he will be as good if you start him now as he will be if he learns the system and gets up to nfl speed in practice. And another thing the packers traded up in that draft to draft Aaron’s successor they definitely drafted him intentionally

Nobody cares.