Falcons leaning toward drafting a QB at No. 4 overall?

The Atlanta Falcons appeared to commit to Matt Ryan for at least two more years when they restructured his contract earlier this month, but apparently that does not mean they have ruled out drafting a quarterback with the fourth overall pick.

Most analysts are predicting that the Falcons will solidify their offensive line by drafting a player like Oregon’s Penei Sewell at No. 4, but Peter King of NBC Sports has heard differently. King said in his weekly column on Monday that he has been told the Falcons are leaning toward drafting a quarterback at No. 4.

The most likely candidate is Trey Lance, who many view as the most impressive quarterback in the draft from a physical standpoint. Lance is a raw prospect who played in just one game last season due to injury, so King says the plan for Atlanta could be to sit him behind Ryan for two years.

That might make sense, but it almost certainly would not sit well with Ryan. The 35-year-old recently restructured his deal to lower his salary cap hit significantly. Quarterbacks typically would prefer to do that if their team is doing everything possible to win now. If the Falcons draft a QB fourth overall, it would be hard for them to argue they did that with 2021 or 2022 in mind.

According to Over the Cap, the Falcons would be left with a $65 million dead cap hit if Ryan is traded prior to June 1 and $40.5 million if he’s traded him before June 1, 2022. Neither scenario is realistic.

With the latest we have heard about which QB the San Francisco 49ers are eyeing at No. 3, the Falcons may have a tough decision to make.