With the way things are going in Atlanta this season, it looks like they could be in a prime spot to draft No. overall quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
If order to do so, they’ll have to lose to all of the good and bad teams, which hasn’t been a problem for them this season. I mean even after an 0-16 season, there a Nobel prize waiting for them come April.
They’re not that bad to finish with a record like that, right? They did at least get rid of their head coach which was step 1. Step 2. will be another rebuilding season since they have yet to match what the paper said heading into this season. If they’re not going to finish last in the league to get a prime draft spot, well then this means trading Julio Jones or Matt Ryan for a to pick.
Jones would be the easier of the two to trade, but Matt Ryan’s time in Atlanta seems to be up and the Falcons could use that huge change.
Atlanta Is Stuck With Ryan
As it stands, Atlanta is stuck with Ryan for no as he is set for a cap hit of $117 million in the course of the next three years. It’s not such a bad thing since at age 35, he’s still performing well. It might not show in wins, but he’s thrown for 1,472 yards and seven touchdowns the past five losses.
In nine straight seasons, he has thrown for 4,000 yards and topped 65 percent completion in all but one, while totaling 52,568 yards and 328 touchdown passes in his career. The Ice Man has also made four Pro Bowls and earned himself an MVP and a Super Bowl appearance.
If the Falcons and their new GM can find a team who is desperate for a quarterback, then they can stock up some picks and find another deal to grab Lawrence.
It won’t be easy, but Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay said on Monday that there’s always a way around the rules.
“We have a lot of really good football players paid at a very high level that impacts our salary cap. That said, I’ve always believed that salary cap is something that you can maneuver around, you can work within, and you can operate within. I’m not intimidated by it,” McKay said via ESPN.
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Trevor Lawrence Is Worth Whatever It Takes
If Atlanta wants to see another Super Bowl appearance, then they’re going to have to make these massive changes.
Lawrence is a gold mine and his Coach Dabo Swinney can vouch for him that any team will be lucky to have him.
Answering a question aimed at New York making a move on Tuesday, Swinney praised Lawrence for a solid 3 minutes.
“Well, I don’t have any thoughts about the New York stuff but as far as Trevor as a quarterback prospect, I don’t know what you could want that he doesn’t possess,” Swinney said via 247 Sports. “So that’s the best way I can answer that. I mean, there’s nothing — there’s nothing that you could desire to have in a quarterback that’s not there. You want size? You got it. You want a guy that could run? You got it. You want a guy that has great football IQ? You got it.
“You want a guy that’s a great leader? You got it. You want a guy that loves to work, loves to prepare, same guy every day? You got it. You want a boy that’s humble? You got it. You want a guy that makes everybody else better, doesn’t ask anything more from anybody that he’s willing to give? You got it.
“You want a guy that’s accurate? You got it. You want a guy that’s got great pocket presence? You got it. You want a guy that’s got toughness and ain’t afraid to go get a first down? You got it. You want a guy that’s going to give you every ounce of what he’s got? You got it. So I don’t know what you could want in a quarterback that he doesn’t possess. That’s the best way I can answer it.”
Let’s hope Atlanta makes the right decisions this offseason and someone bites at Ryan.
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NFL Rumors: Falcons Trade Matt Ryan, Draft Trevor Lawrence