Based on Ridder of last year, almost anyone is an upgrade. But, be careful with Cousins, he's gonna look like a pro bowl QB for a couple weeks (assuming he returns 100%) and then completely **** the bed if the game is important.
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- Thread starter zitothebrave
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Based on Ridder of last year, almost anyone is an upgrade. But, be careful with Cousins, he's gonna look like a pro bowl QB for a couple weeks (assuming he returns 100%) and then completely **** the bed if the game is important.
chop2chip
Well-known member
Perfect fit then
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
If he gets us back into the post season I don't care. After 3 years of 7-10, I'm excited to play football in january.
chop2chip
Well-known member
I’d settle for looking like an actual football team in September for once
Fair enough. That is assuming he comes back off that injury at his age. Likely but time will tell.
striker42
Well-known member
One of the most taken for granted things in Atlanta and it's anything but certain.
Tapate50
Well-known member
Lol, they literally took a backup with the 8th pick.
How more serious could that have taken it?
striker42
Well-known member
I'm talking more among the fans. A lot of fans are just assuming Cousins is the same guy he was before getting hurt.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Eh he changed a bit in Minne when he got Jetta.
That being said it's not like he's Vick who can't throw anything but bombs or open looks.
Also striker is slightly overstating the issue, we lost Moore who was one of the 3 WR pickups, with McLoud and Mooney, Mooney also has top end speed.
While I think it overrated as a talking point (air yards, deep passing), he really did not throw the ball deep often in Minny either.
https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/advanced-stats-qb.php?team=MIN&year=2021
striker42
Well-known member
I don't think Moore is anything super special, it's more about a lack of depth. Teams tend to have excellent speed from their number one WR, we don't. London is not fast and doesn't stretch the field. So we have to get speed elsewhere.
Mooney and Moore were basically all the speed we had at WR, an already thin position. Losing Moore makes us thinner at WR and with only one guy who can take the top off the defense.
It's not a disaster but losing Moore hurts us more than it would if London was a burner.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
He wasn't airing it out like a confused rookie but his AirY/A is right there in 2022 it was around Mahomes and Burrow, in 2021, he was better than Herbert, Rodgers, etc.
Mid 4s in Air Y/A is pretty normal.
Mahomes always has a low number. Likely in part because teams are scared to let him beat them deep. Those aren't QBs that push the ball downfield.
Im a big fan of taking BPA but Im not sure that Penix was that guy and I think you make an exception when its a QB you just signed to a huge contract.
Plus you already had the GOAT, Taylor Heinicke.
Heyward
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br>'13, '14, '15 (Co-Winner
I dont think Penix was BPA at all. If they were gonna take Penix, then dont sign Cousins. Doing both is ass backwards.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
It's a peculiar gamble. Both are risky, Cousins with his age and injury recovery, Penix with his injury history. Falcons theoretically could have 2 great QBs or 2 injured QBs.
I don't hate the Penix pick as much now. I think it's an interesting long term gamble and having a low cost QB means they can keep their talented core around longer. I think if you keep Pitts and Bijan around things will be good for some time as long as we have good WR.
The problem is that you aren't really going to have a low cost QB at any point aside from MAYBE 2028, even then I would question what the term "low cost" really means.
Cousins in pretty much guaranteed to be there for 3 years. You technically could move on after year 2, but with 37 million in dead cap that seems extremely unlikely. So, Cousins is gone after year 3, you still have another 12.5m in deadcap and Penix making another 7 million in year 4. That's 19.5 million. Not terrible considering today's QB prices but not what I would consider "low cost". And then, if things go as planned and Penix is actually good in Year 4, he will immediately demand an extension that off-season in the 200-300 million range, depending on how good that year 4 was.
And of course this all assumes Penix isn't forced to take over sooner because of an injury to a 36 year old Cousins and then demands an extension when he is eligible to after year 3.
The Falcons are never really going to enjoy the benefits of a rookie QB contract.