Remember back in mid-March ESPN’s Vaughn McClure reported that he would expect the Falcons “to make a play” for veteran pass rusher, Robert Quinn? Well, they did. And they lost.
Quinn had a tough choice to make between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons. So he did what any logical fifth grader would do over gummy bears or fruit roll-ups, he flipped a coin.
“I really couldn’t make up my mind, so I had to do it the honest way,” Quinn said, explaining how his decision came down to a coin flip (via Chris Emma of 670 The Score). “The Bears were on the right side.”
Now, he didn’t actually flip a coin, head or tails. It was hypothetical and it was meant to illustrate how close his decision was. After all, this isn’t just gummy bears or fruit roll-ups.
Falcons Lose Out on Robert Quinn: Good or Bad?
Ultimately, ‘da’ Bears won the coin flip.
Chicago signed Quinn to a five-year, $70 million deal with $30 million guaranteed at signing. Not a bad payday for Quinn and something you wouldn’t expect from a team since being 29-years-old. The NFL tale is said to be that the older you get, the more affordable you become to suitors. Of course, this isn’t true for many legends and for Quinn’s age, he is in high-quality shape.
Two weeks after losing the flip, the Falcons signed ex-Rams pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. to a three-year, $45 million contract. This was a more affordable move by the Falcons considering they don’t have $70 million to drop on an aged vet.
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A Young Buck
Signing Fowler, a young buck, to a lesser contract was in Atlanta’s favor.
Fowler, 25, signed with Rams in 2018 through a midseason trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars and helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl. He was set to become a free agent before last season but signed a one-year, $12-million contract with the Rams that also included $2 million in performance incentives.
He performed.
Fowler had himself a field day last season. He recorded a career-best 11.5 sacks, 58 tackles and finished with 54 pressures last season. The more seasoned, Quinn, recorded 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles to go with 34 tackles and 47 pressures.
Fowler Has Big Plans for Atlanta
Fowler is stoked, to say the least, to be joining the Falcons and reuniting with his college coach, Dan Quinn in Atlanta.
He’s more than ready to go out and play with a “chip on his shoulder” this season, per Atlanta Falcons’ reporter, Kelsey Conway. He also said he plans to stay consistent with reeling in double-digit sack numbers this season.
“I’m ready to show you guys a lot of things, Fowler told Conway. To show you guys what I am about on an off of the field. I can’t wait to work in the community and get to know the people in the front office. I can’t wait to meet my teammates as well, to go out there and battle with them.”
In conclusion, the Falcons didn’t really lose the “coin flip” to DA Bears this time, however, they would if it came down to Chicago-style pizza.
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Falcons Lose Out on Ex-Cowboys’ Edge to a Coin Flip?