REAL FOOTBALL Thread

striker42 said:
My issues are more big picture. They don't seem to understand they're a team in need of a rebuild.
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They are but they can't rebuild with Ryan under contract. They could have taken fields, or they could have taken the generational talent, either have a good year or suck and go for a QB in this draft. If they're going gambly, I'd argue Malik Willis is better than Fields in terms of over all QB talent. Sure you could argue semantics over keeping Ryan and the pros and cons of having someone develop with him. But I'd rather let a new QB work within the system as a QB like Fields or Willis wouldn't play the game the same way Ryan does. Now if they drafted Mac Jones you may have a point. I think if Trey Lance fell to their pick they would have taken him. I don't think Atlanta rated Fields highly and guessed they'd get another shot at a high risk or higher rated QB later.
 
Usually an NFL rebuild is shedding massive salary and drafting a QB.

Falcons will be in a good spot to rebuild starting next year. Julio will have a healthy cap hit still as he was traded post June, and if they trade Ryan they can just go with sucking, then have copious amounts of dead cap that will become free. Whether they trade Ryan before or after June to be more competitive next year is irrelevant. I would use next year as a way to be in a bit of cap hell but keep your talent like Ridley, look at other guys who could be extended.
 
zitothebrave said:
Usually an NFL rebuild is shedding massive salary and drafting a QB.

Falcons will be in a good spot to rebuild starting next year. Julio will have a healthy cap hit still as he was traded post June, and if they trade Ryan they can just go with sucking, then have copious amounts of dead cap that will become free. Whether they trade Ryan before or after June to be more competitive next year is irrelevant. I would use next year as a way to be in a bit of cap hell but keep your talent like Ridley, look at other guys who could be extended.
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I completely agree with the rebuilding. The Falcons need to shed salary and draft a QB. I'd have rather seen them go for a QB this year. It was a terrific QB class. The class for 2022 looks to be below average.

I just don't understand picking Pitts. I love Pitts and think he'll be a great player. But a pass catching TE is an absolute luxury for a team in the Falcons position. The only way he made sense would be if the Falcons intended to compete this year. But they knew they'd be forced to trade Julio. A mediocre offense paired with an awful defense isn't a great position to compete.

If they were down on all the QBs available to them, they should have traded down. Pitts is a huge talent that would have been a great get for a number of teams ready to compete. The Falcons needed either a QB or else a bunch of picks. Instead they drafted a luxury. I honestly don't expect the Falcons to compete until probably 2024.
 
I mean I would have been fine with trading down too. I think you're largely right about the timeline to compete. 2022 will be a huge rebuild year with Ryan cut/traded to hopefully go win a title somewhere. We could see the same thing with Jarrett too. I dunno about Matthews. Falcons havea lot of money set to come off the books after 2023 so they're all prime to be cut if they aren't in the future plans. A healthy rebuild through FA and the Draft could go a long way.
 
Gotta figure Pitt or Denver make the most sense for a Ryan trade. Gets him out of the NFC. He is from PA anyways, so there's some connection there. Pitt has a ready made team fot him with a pretty terrific defense and several weapons on offense.
 
zitothebrave said:
I mean I would have been fine with trading down too. I think you're largely right about the timeline to compete. 2022 will be a huge rebuild year with Ryan cut/traded to hopefully go win a title somewhere. We could see the same thing with Jarrett too. I dunno about Matthews. Falcons havea lot of money set to come off the books after 2023 so they're all prime to be cut if they aren't in the future plans. A healthy rebuild through FA and the Draft could go a long way.
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Yeah. The rebuild is inevitable, I just wonder why they didn't do it this year.

The biggest obstacle I see to getting the team back to competing is finding an heir to Matt Ryan. The options in next year's class draft class aren't terribly exciting. I'd probably rather see them focus on defense next year's draft and wait for 2023 rather than waste time and a draft pick on the wrong guy at QB next year.
 
striker42 said:
Yeah. The rebuild is inevitable, I just wonder why they didn't do it this year.

The biggest obstacle I see to getting the team back to competing is finding an heir to Matt Ryan. The options in next year's class draft class aren't terribly exciting. I'd probably rather see them focus on defense next year's draft and wait for 2023 rather than waste time and a draft pick on the wrong guy at QB next year.
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Well the biggest obstacle this year is clearing Ryan's salary. Though I do get what you're saying. It could be easier to get ahead with a starting QB. I think if Trey Lance was there we would have drafted him because he is potentially a stud. I just don't like Fields. I think the Falcons did agree.
 
Carp said:
Gotta figure Pitt or Denver make the most sense for a Ryan trade. Gets him out of the NFC. He is from PA anyways, so there's some connection there. Pitt has a ready made team fot him with a pretty terrific defense and several weapons on offense.
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If they didn't draft Mac Jones I thought New England would be a great fit. But I agree, leaving the NFC would probably be ideal. I could see either of them being a good fit. Any team who's a QB away from competing would be wise to do it.
 
zitothebrave said:
Well the biggest obstacle this year is clearing Ryan's salary. Though I do get what you're saying. It could be easier to get ahead with a starting QB. I think if Trey Lance was there we would have drafted him because he is potentially a stud. I just don't like Fields. I think the Falcons did agree.
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I don't think it's that the Falcons don't like Fields. I think the new front office and new coaching staff had an insane belief that they could come in, retool, and compete this year. They knew they were losing Julio so they thought Pitts could step in and fill that void. Pitts makes very little sense for a team in salary cap hell with as many needs as the Falcons have. But I think the new blood suffers from a bit of hubris and thought they could get this team competing this year.
 
Winston injured on a horse collar tackle. Taysoms been out for weeks from a defender trying to behead him on the field. Now Trevor Siemenen at QB and Bucs have 3 roughing the passer penalties in a row... .
 
And Trevor Siemian and the Saints beat Brady lolololol



Looks like Jameis is out for the year. Taysom finally gonna get his shot.
 
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I do want to take a second to appreciate Matt Ryan. He's having a very solid year, despite his number 1 receiver being ineffective or missing all season, Ryan has posted rock solid numbers where his leading receiver is rookie Tight End Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson. To put the latter in context, halfway through the season, Patterson needs just 9 yards to have the most receiving yards in any season ever for him. He's not a wide receiver. Matt Ryan is basically willing him into one.

Hopefully after this year the Falcons trade Ryan and start the rebuild (need that cap room from cutting ryan which won't hit until the following year. So come 2023/2024 they could be a great team when they hopefully have a good young QB and some key pieces around himincluding Ridley and Pitts. But really I want Ryan to win a Superbowl. I'm still pissed that Kyle Shannahan robbed him and the franchise of the title with some of the worst playcalling I've ever seen and I wish he never wins a superbowl as any level of coach. I don't know what team is a QB away from being a Superbowl contender. Saints are certainly a good team with a great coach if they could afford Ryan he would immediately help them. If Roethlisberger retires, Ryan could be a way to keep the window open while they're still competitive. That's about all I can think of now. New England is a great fit but I think they'll try and make Mac Jones work.

And build a statue of Ryan outside of Mercedes Benz Stadium. He's earned it. Best Atlanta Falcon player of all time. I used to be reluctant to say that because of Nobis. But Ryan's singular efforts this season to will this team to win are second to no other Falcon. This puts early Vick to shame.
 
zitothebrave said:
I do want to take a second to appreciate Matt Ryan. He's having a very solid year, despite his number 1 receiver being ineffective or missing all season, Ryan has posted rock solid numbers where his leading receiver is rookie Tight End Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson. To put the latter in context, halfway through the season, Patterson needs just 9 yards to have the most receiving yards in any season ever for him. He's not a wide receiver. Matt Ryan is basically willing him into one.

Hopefully after this year the Falcons trade Ryan and start the rebuild (need that cap room from cutting ryan which won't hit until the following year. So come 2023/2024 they could be a great team when they hopefully have a good young QB and some key pieces around himincluding Ridley and Pitts. But really I want Ryan to win a Superbowl. I'm still pissed that Kyle Shannahan robbed him and the franchise of the title with some of the worst playcalling I've ever seen and I wish he never wins a superbowl as any level of coach. I don't know what team is a QB away from being a Superbowl contender. Saints are certainly a good team with a great coach if they could afford Ryan he would immediately help them. If Roethlisberger retires, Ryan could be a way to keep the window open while they're still competitive. That's about all I can think of now. New England is a great fit but I think they'll try and make Mac Jones work.

And build a statue of Ryan outside of Mercedes Benz Stadium. He's earned it. Best Atlanta Falcon player of all time. I used to be reluctant to say that because of Nobis. But Ryan's singular efforts this season to will this team to win are second to no other Falcon. This puts early Vick to shame.
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I have mixed feelings about Shannahan. He was awful in the Super Bowl but the Falcons never get there without him.

And I agree about Ryan. He's very underappreciated. The fact that the Falcons are winning any games at all is because of Ryan putting the team on his back. He's doing what Brady has done so many times and turned nobodies into productive players.

I also agree that they need to start the rebuild. They needed to start it this year. I'm concerned about who is going to replace Ryan. The QB class last year was fantastic. This year it's pretty awful. I'm not sure there's any QB in that class I'd take with our first round pick. It would probably be better for the Falcons to just sign a mediocre free agent and tank next year in hopes that the 2023 class has the gem they need.
 
I dunno, there's a few QBs I'm interested in next year. I like MAlik Willis though he has a huge downside. But he could be another Deshaun Watson type talent. But I'd be fine with sucking in 2022 for 2023.

I think Atlanta was set on if Trey Lance was there they'd take him, if not they'd go BPA.
 
If the Watson situation gets resolved, swapping Ryan and Watson would make a good bit of sense. Obviously, the Falcons would have to give up more picks in they scenario.

Otherwise, the Browns, Colts, Broncos, and Steelers seem like the best fits.
 
zitothebrave said:
I dunno, there's a few QBs I'm interested in next year. I like MAlik Willis though he has a huge downside. But he could be another Deshaun Watson type talent. But I'd be fine with sucking in 2022 for 2023.

I think Atlanta was set on if Trey Lance was there they'd take him, if not they'd go BPA.
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Honestly they need to suck in 2022 to get a good QB. They're going to struggle finding one in the middle of the first round.

Last year was theor chance. Number 4 pick, best QB class in years. But we take a friggin tight end.

The more I see of Fields the more I'm convinced the Falcons blew it passing on him.
 
Yeah I think ATL made a mistake not picking Fields or even Mac Jones. I'm not a fan of Mac Jones, but he'd easily be the best QB in this upcoming draft.
 
striker42 said:
Honestly they need to suck in 2022 to get a good QB. They're going to struggle finding one in the middle of the first round.

Last year was theor chance. Number 4 pick, best QB class in years. But we take a friggin tight end.

The more I see of Fields the more I'm convinced the Falcons blew it passing on him.
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to write Fields off becaus he's a kid.

But he's arguably the worst QB in the NFL.What are you seeing that sells you on him? He leads the league in Sacks and Sack Yards. His net Yards per attempt is sitting under 5 yards. He's like near Jamarcus Russell levels.

Hopefully he will turn it around, but there's nothing I'm seeing that makes me think he would be good aside from the hope that spending a year on the bench learning from Ryan would be good for him.
 
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