The Falcons have shuffled up the QB room from last year considerably. Most notably, Kirk Cousins was brought in after signing a lucrative four-year deal that came with $100 million in guarantees, and Desmond Ridder was shipped out in a trade with the Cardinals for Rondale Moore. The Ridder trade was a bit of a surprise, but it made a lot more sense when it was revealed that Taylor Heinicke agreed to take a pay cut.
Currently, Cousins and Heinicke are the only two quarterbacks on the Falcons roster, but Terry Fontenot has already said a third quarterback will be brought in, whether that be through free agency or the draft. There are some tantalizing options in this year’s draft class. Some have connected the Falcons to Michael Penix, but my guess is they aren’t seriously considering a quarterback that early after paying Kirk Cousins $180 million. If the Falcons draft a quarterback later this week, it will most likely be a flier in the later rounds.
We do know, however, that it will not be Logan Woodside. The former Falcons quarterback sat behind Ridder and Heinicke last year as the team’s third QB, and he’s heading to Cincinnati to serve in a similar role for the Bengals.
If the Falcons end up relying on a third string quarterback, it’s probably best to mail it in the rest of the season. Hell, even if they have to turn to Taylor Heinicke next year for an extended period, we know how that will end up. However, I will say Logan Woodside showed some chops in the preseason and is deserving of a chance to continue his career. We’ll know by the end of the week how the Falcons plan on replacing him.
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