The NFL trade deadline is right around the corner on November 2nd and while it’s unclear if the Atlanta Falcons will make any moves, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell suggests a trade that could benefit both parties.
Barnwell proposes the Los Angeles Chargers trade for the Falcons trade for their superstar kicker Younghoe Koo.
In return, according to Barnwell, the Chargers should send offensive tackle Trey Pipkins and a fifth-round pick to Atlanta for the Pro Bowl kicker.
The biggest problem for the Chargers right now might be at kicker, where Tristan Vizcaino has missed five extra points in six games. Coach Brandon Staley might want to go for it all the time on fourth down, but can the Chargers really feel good about trying to make a deep playoff run with a kicker they don’t trust? They can afford to re-sign Koo, so a deal could make sense for both sides. Pipkins, who wasn’t able to win a starting job over the past two years, would be an option for the Falcons as they consider 2019 first-rounder Kaleb McGary’s future at right tackle – Bill Barnwell, ESPN
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Koo Began His Career in LA
Koo heading to LA would be a homecoming as he began his career with the Chargers after graduating from Georgia Southern in 2017.
But, it wouldn’t be the happiest of homecomings for him. He played just four games with the Chargers before they released him. Koo,27, earned the starting job at the time over Josh Lambo. He was off to a decent start as a rookie kicker, but after an 0-4 start for the Chargers, he was kicked to the curb.
Since then, however, he’s shined bright for the Falcons. He’s 67 of 72 on field-goal attempts, which even includes an eye-popping 10 of 10 from 50 yards or more. His most recent stellar performance came against the Miami Dolphins in Week 7. Koo made all three of his field-goal attempts and extra points, including a game-winning kick in the Falcons’ 30-28 win.
In fact, Koo has not missed a beat this season. He’s a perfect 10-for-10 on field-goal attempts and 13-for-13 on extra-point tries. He has also saved the day with not one, but two game-winning kicks as time expired this season.
Koo earned a 2020 Pro Bowl invite and signed a one-year deal worth $920K plus incentives––making him the 20th highest-paid kicker in the league. With the Falcons’ messy salary cap situation, Barnwell addresses the fact that Atlanta might not be able to pay him what he’s worth.
Would Trey Pipkins Be Worth It?
Pipkins, 25, was originally drafted by the Chargers in the third round in the 2019 NFL Draft.
With 32 NFL appearances and 8 starts, Pipkins hasn’t been a key of any sort to LA’s offensive line and he’s still on his rookie contract which is under contract until 2022.
Even if the Falcons were hurting at right tackle, this trade wouldn’t make sense. At this point, Koo is worth much more than a mediocre offensive tackle and a fifth-round pick.
The Falcons also welcomed back their starting right tackle Kaleb McGary from the injured/COVID-19 list this week and have Jason Spriggs as an option, who performed well against the Dolphins in McGary’s place.
The Falcons offensive line might be lackluster, but this is not the trade that’s going to fix it.
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ESPN Proposes Trade Sending Falcons’ Younghoe Koo to Chargers