Getty The Falcons were talking to the Jaguars about trading for a dynamic WR.
The Atlanta Falcons may not be completely satisfied with their wide receiver room, even after an offseason spent overhauling the position. General manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith added new options via both free agency and the 2022 NFL draft, but that didn’t stop them exploring a trade for a versatile pass-catcher who can play outside or in the slot.
Several NFC teams made a run at this roving weapon, according to one NFL writer, before the Jacksonville Jaguars found a trade partner in the Falcons’ own division. The deal ultimately benefited an NFC South rival, but the fact the Falcons showed interest at all suggests they could stay on the lookout for a new wideout while cuts around the league are finalised as teams trim their rosters to 53 players.
Falcons Talked to Jaguars About Trade
Laviska Shenault Jr. was sent to the Carolina Panthers for “undisclosed draft compensation” on Monday, August 29. Details of the trade were reported by Darin Gantt of Panthers.com.
The Panthers got their man, but as ESPN’s Dan Graziano pointed out, there were other suitors:
Note I found interesting last night: Carolina had some competition for Laviska Shenault. Packers, Falcons were among the other teams that were talking to the Jaguars about trading for Shenault before they reached a deal with the Panthers, per sources.
Shenault represented an interesting target for the Falcons. He can be a factor in both phases of an offense, something Smith and coordinator Dave Ragone covet in a multiple system designed around the dual-threat talents of quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder.
Both are gifted runners who make read-option style plays a must. Shenault belongs in a gadget, run- and play-action heavy scheme because of his versatility.
He made 121 catches for 1,219 yards and amassed 132 more on 29 rushing attempts during two seasons with the Jags. The numbers show how Shenault can be used in multiple ways, including as a guarantee of yards after catches underneath:
Put some respect on @Viska2live’s name.
Schemed throws that turn short-range connections into long gains will be the foundation of Atlanta’s passing game this season. It’s what Smith is counting on from eighth-overall pick Drake London and new arrivals Bryan Edwards and Damiere Byrd.
Smith also needs his wide receivers to move defenders in the running game, something 6’1″, 220-pounder Shenault has routinely achieved, particularly on this play against the Houston Texans, highlighted by John Shipley of Jaguar Report:
Laviska Shenault had the cornerback in hell on that James Robinson run lol (top of screen)
There’s an obvious similarity here between what Shenault can do and how the Falcons use their best playmaker. The team even discussing this trade looks more like an early attempt to eventually replace one key veteran.
Shenault Would’ve Been Another Cordarrelle Patterson
The comparison between Shenault and Patterson is strong. They are both powerfully built wide receivers who can also impact defenses as running backs.
Patterson went all in on switching to the latter position last season and it’s not a stretch to envisage Shenault eventually doing something similar. He’s already spent ample time in the backfield, according to Arjun Menon of Pro Football Focus:
Wide Receivers with the most routes run out of the backfield since 2019:
Curtis Samuel
Deebo Samuel
Braxton Berrios
Cooper Kupp
Laviska Shenault
Tyreek Hill
Jakeem Grant
Jarvis Landry
Patterson’s name not appearing on that list is a surprise, but he still managed to feature heavily as a receiver, even during a campaign where he was a workhorse on the ground. Aside from carrying the ball 153 times for 610 yards, the former Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots ace also tallied 52 receptions for 548 yards.
Those numbers were enough to earn him a new two-year deal from the Falcons, but Patterson is 31, and Smith and Fontenot know they need to plan for the future. Swinging a deal for Shenault would’ve been a good way to start, so perhaps this won’t be the end of the Falcons’ attempts to recruit a new wide receiver before Week 1.
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Falcons ‘Were Talking’ to Jaguars About WR Trade