NFL

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New Cousins

By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins.

The deal is worth up to $180 million with $100 million guaranteed.

I’m not a fan of this move at all. Cousins will turn 36 in August. He also tore his Achilles in late October. It typically takes one year to recover from that so he should miss at least the first few games of the season.

Cousins was a priority after a few free agent QB’s came off the market.

Tampa Bay re-signed quarterback Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100-million deal and the Steelers agreed to a one-year, $1.21 million deal with nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson.

Also, quarterback Mac Jones was traded by the Patriots to the Jaguars as the league’s official legal-tampering period is set to start at noon on Monday.

Prior to his injury, Cousins was playing well. Through seven weeks, he led the NFL in touchdown passes while ranking second in passing yards and fourth in passer rating.

The Falcons stated that they had a “Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D” when it came to upgrading the quarterback position.

Many experts thought the most obvious move was to trade with Chicago and acquire Justin Fields. Fields is a Georgia native who played at UGA and Ohio State.

Atlanta cannot comment specifically about the quarterbacks on the roster due to the league’s tampering rules.

“But it’s really exciting with the quarterback group that’s out there, that we have the ability to acquire,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said recently. “That is what our fan base, that’s what makes our front office, what makes our coaches all excited to be able to talk in our (meeting) rooms about those people.”

The Falcons have stated they plan to upgrade the position after Desmond Ridder underperformed last season. He finished with 12 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and 12 fumbles (including seven lost fumbles) and he was benched twice in favor of Taylor Heinicke.

Morris stated the obvious at the combine.

“If we had better quarterback play last year in Atlanta, I might not be standing here,” said Morris, who was hired to replace Arthur Smith after he was fired.

The Falcons kept a watchful eye on negotiations between the Vikings and Cousins. The Falcons have enough salary cap space to make a worthy offer. The Falcons are currently $41.1 million under the salary cap.

Cousins has been to the Pro Bowl four times. He is known for having decent stats but not producing in prime-time games or the playoffs. He’s been in the NFL since 2012 so I think that is who he truly is as a player. They did upgrade at the position but they will never be real contenders with this move.

The Falcons hired Zac Robinson as their new offensive coordinator. He was the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the LA Rams (2022-23) before this. This will be his first season as a coordinator so I do not think we truly know what to expect from the offense.

They do have weapons like running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.

Moving Pieces

By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Wednesday, March 13, after 4 p.m. Eastern Time NFL free agency will officially begin.

Let’s take a look at the AFC South to see what needs each team should address.

Indianapolis: The Colts were 9-8 last season and missed the playoffs.

They drafted quarterback Anthony Richardson (Florida) No. 4 in 2023. Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, so backup Gardner Minshew played the remainder of the season.

The biggest goal should be building around Richardson.

Key Free Agents: WR Michael Pittman, Gardner Minshew, CB Kenny Moore, DT Taven Bryan, RB Zack Moss, S Julian Blackmon and DT Grover Stewart.

Indy should make it a priority to bring Pittman back since he’s their No. 1 receiver.

The biggest team needs are backup QB, safety, wide receiver, cornerback and D-line/ run stoppers.

If Pittman returns, they still need to add WR depth and another playmaker. The secondary struggled in 2023 and they could lose Moore, who is their most experienced player.

They ranked 24th against the run last season and they might lose Stewart in free agency.

They have $73.9 million in salary cap space.

Tennessee: The Titans were 6-11 last year and fired head coach Mike Vrabel. Former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan was hired to replace him.

Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill was benched so they could evaluate rookie Will Levis (Kentucky).

Derrick Henry had 1.381 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage, making it to his fourth Pro Bowl in five seasons. Neither of these players are not expected to return next season.

Key Free Agents: Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, DE Denico Autry, LB Azeez Al-Shaair, C Aaron Brewer, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting and CB Kristian Fulton.

Pittsburgh is reportedly interested in Tannehill. Henry has been the most physical running back in the NFL for the last few years. He’s 30 years old and unfortunately a running back’s age should be counted in dog years. The Titans are rebuilding and I’m sure he wants to join a contender.

The key positions to address are offensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback and wide receiver. They have $80.7 million in available salary cap space, so they can add some talent.

Houston: The Texans were 10-7 in 2023, won the AFC South and won a playoff game.

They far exceeded expectations under first year head coach DeMeco Ryans.

QB C.J. Stroud was the Offensive Rookie of the Year and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Key Free Agents: TE Dalton Schultz, DE Jonathan Greenard, DT Sheldon Rankins, CB Steven Nelson, WR Noah Brown, RB Devin Singletary and K Ka’imi Fairburn.

The biggest team needs are running back, tight end, cornerback, defensive tackle and defensive end.

Houston has over $70 million in available cap space.

Jacksonville: The Jaguars were 9-8 and missed the playoffs. They were expected to win the division and make a playoff run going into the season.

Key Free Agents: WR Calvin Ridley, Edge Josh Allen, LG Ezra Cleveland, K Brandon McManus, WR/return specialist Jamal Agnew and CB Tre Herndon.

The Jags declined to sign Allen to an extension of his rookie contract and he recorded a franchise-record of 17.5 sacks last season. Now his salary is set to drastically increase, whether they negotiate a new contract or use the franchise tag.

It should also be a priority to retain Ridley. He led the team in receiving yards (1,016) and touchdowns (8).

The biggest needs are interior offensive line, cornerback, wide receiver and D-line.

The Jags have $25.7 million in salary cap space.

A List Of Needs

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2024 NFL Draft is a crucial one for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jacksonville is slotted with nine picks in April’s draft, with extra picks in the fourth and sixth rounds. And after a disappointing 9-8 campaign in 2023 after beginning the season with an 8-3 record, the Jaguars will need to fill some gaps.

Jacksonville will have about $25 million in cap space available to spend in free agency.

Most of that will be dedicated to a Josh Allen extension or franchise tag. Josh Allen is not going anywhere so do not worry Jag fans.

Many believe that the Jaguars will cut Cam Robinson and that move could free up an additional $17-18 million to dabble in free agency, but if they make that move then offensive line becomes a huge position of need bigger than it already is.

Trevor Lawrence took a beating in 2023. Jacksonville fumbled the ball twenty-eight times last season which was the second highest total in the NFL. Yards per carry last season was 3.6 which was second to last in the league. Lawrence missed time last season due to injury which all points to offensive line struggles.

What happens with Calvin Ridley? If they re-sign Ridley before free agency officially starts, they will have to give Atlanta their No. 48 (second-round) pick as part of their trade for Ridley.

If they do not re-sign him or re-sign him after the start of free agency, then they give Atlanta their No. 79 (third-round pick). All indications are that Jacksonville wants to re-sign Ridley.

Ridley is currently a free agent, and it makes a ton of sense to bring him back to the River City. Ridley is not back to his pre-suspension form yet but showed signs later in the season of his old self. Ridley turns thirty this season, and still has some fuel left in the tank.

Biggest Needs ranked in order:

Offensive Line: Jacksonville needs help across the offensive line, but if Cam Robinson is gone then tackle is a huge need position. Amarius Mims from Georgia is the most athletic offensive lineman in this draft.

Mims is a freak athlete that would start from day one in Jacksonville and provide a much-needed upgrade in athleticism and youth for a high need position.

Most mock drafts have Mims going from pick 15-25 in the first round. Mims should be there when Jacksonville picks at 17.

Wide Receiver: If Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU is still on the board at 17 then how can Jacksonville pass him up?

Thomas can bring both size and big-play ability to take attention away from Ridley.

Thomas has a rare blend of size and speed, and the ability to challenge opposing defenses over the top, making him the ideal candidate. All Thomas did at LSU was catch TD passes.

Cornerback: Jacksonville needs a corner to pair with Tyson Campbell. That need must be addressed in this draft. Jacksonville picks at 17 in the first round. Based on the latest mock drafts where the elite offensive linemen and wide receivers could be gobbled up means the Jaguars could get better value at cornerback with their first-round selection.

Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama could be a value pick here if he is still on the board.

Jacksonville must get better at OL, WR, and CB in this draft. Houston is only going to get better moving forward. Jacksonville must keep pace with the Texans.

This draft is critical in Jacksonville.

Around The South

By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2024 NFL Draft is in April so it is coming up soon. Let’s take a look around the NFC South and see who each team will take with their first pick.

Atlanta (7-10): The Falcons have the No. 8 pick. They fired head coach Arthur Smith shortly after losing to the New Orleans Saints in the season finale. Raheem Morris was hired as the new head coach.

They need to obtain a franchise quarterback but they are picking too late to address that. The top three quarterback prospects; Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels should be selected with the first three picks.

Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy might still be on the board so he might be an option. Atlanta still has the option of trading for a veteran free agent quarterback like Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. I believe they will do that, so I think they will select a pass rusher.

Florida State defensive end Jared Verse might prove to be the best pass rusher in the draft. He’s 6’4 and 260 pounds so he has good size.

In his two years in Tallahassee, he had 18 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss. It seems like we talk about how Atlanta cannot get to the quarterback every season, so this would be a great pick.

New Orleans (9-8): They have the No. 14 pick. The Saints finished second in the division and had a winning record. Head coach Dennis Allen is entering his third season and he wants to make the playoffs next season.

Quarterback Derek Carr played well in his first season in the Big Easy and he dramatically reduced his interceptions.

The biggest area that needs to be addressed is the interior defensive line.

Defensive lineman Byron Murphy II (Texas) would be a good pick here. He’s 6’1, 308 lbs. and he has the size to clog up the middle and stop the run.

The interior defensive line might become a strength because he will be paired with 2023 first-round pick Bryan Bresee.

Tampa Bay (9-8): The Bucs have the No. 26 pick. They surprised everyone last season by making the playoffs and beating the reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 in the Wild Card round.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield revived his career and played well.

Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans is expected to be a free agent. The general belief is that he will leave Tampa to go to a contending team. They will need to draft a No. 1 receiver to help fill that void.

Wide receiver Keon Coleman (Florida State) could be his replacement. Like Evans, he’s a big target at 6’4 and 215 pounds. He has not had an amazing season in college so he still needs to develop.

His best season was as a sophomore at Michigan State when he had 58 catches, 798 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Last season at FSU he had 50 catches, 658 yards and 11 TD’s.

Carolina (2-15): The Panthers were awful last season. They traded up to select QB Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and they traded away their 2024 first round pick.

They will have the first pick of the second round at No. 33.

They need to help Young by surrounding him with weapons. They may select wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (Texas). He spent his first two seasons at Georgia before transferring to Texas in 2023. Last season he had 55 receptions, 845 yards and 11 scores. He’s 6’4 so he is a big target.

To The River City

By: Jeff Doke

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Much like the end of the 2023 season, the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft is not what Jaguar fans were expecting even as recently as six months ago.

Prior to the late season collapse that saw Jacksonville lose five out of their last six games and miss the playoffs thanks to a final week loss to their hated rivals from the Volunteer State, your average Jags fan thought the team was trending in the right direction.

Now, not so much. While the team is still considered upper tier, they’re not as close to “legitimate contender” status as we were hoping leading into the 2023 season. Once again, this year’s draft will prove to be vital, and that’s a situation Jacksonville fans are tired of being in.

At first glance, one would think the Offensive Line would be a top priority. Thirty-five sacks of your generational-talent quarterback would lend credence to that assumption.

Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is the top-rated prospect this year, but he’ll likely be long gone by the time the Jags finally get on the clock at #17.

Same thing for Penn State’s Olu Fashanu. UGA’s Sedrick Van Pran would likely be available, but he’s a Center, and Luke Fortner is looking pretty solid coming into his third year in the league. O-Line help, though desperate, may unfortunately be a second- or third-round target.

Crazy enough as it seems, Wide Receiver is another top concern for Baalke & company.

Calvin Ridley wasn’t as quick to recover from his suspension as some had hoped, and there’s still a chance he doesn’t get re-signed.

Personally, I think that would be a mistake. Thanks to his recent legal issues, Zay Jones might get cut, and Christian Kirk is on the last year of the deal that no one thought he could live up to but somehow did.

If they do go the receiver route, look for the Jags to call Bulldog-turned-Longhorn Adonai Mitchell’s name, possibly Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU. If he’s available in 2nd or 3rd round, I absolutely would not complain if they brought Ladd McConkey to the banks of the St. Johns.

Cornerback is another area of need, and there’s a pair of Alabama products that wouldn’t be out of the question with the 17th overall pick.

Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold are both first-round worthy considerations, and to be honest, either of them falling to 17th would be hard to turn down.

If they go a different direction in the first, hope against hope that Clemson’s Nate Wiggins or Iowa’s Cooper DeJean are still out there in the second round. Admittedly this is a homer pick, but I’d love to see them bring Auburn’s Jaylin Simpson back this side of the Chattahoochee.

The one area that shouldn’t be a concern – but yet somehow is – would be the Edge/LB.

Josh Allen was tied for second in pressure rate, second in sacks and third in quarterback hits in 2023, and yet there’s still the chance he gets hit with the franchise tag.

Seriously, Mr. Khan, just pay the man. He’s earned it. Same for Travon Walker, who saw his sack total jump from 3.5 his rookie year to 10 in his sophomore effort.

If we’re going to look to the future, Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper would be solid, as would the twin towers of the Bama defensive backfield, Dallas Turner & Chris Braswell.

In short, the Jaguars’ needs are more plentiful than we hoped at this point.

While the marquee players are pretty much in place, the needs in the trenches are still noticeable. General Manager Trent Baalke sees this and has commented as such in recent pressers.

Hopefully with the new assistant coaching staff in place and their eyes on the future, this year’s draft haul will be one that is seen as the difference maker, not one that sets the franchise back as so many in the last 20 years have done.

 

Dynasty

By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Go ahead and crown the Kansas City Chiefs as the fourth NFL dynasty of the Super Bowl era.

They have joined the post-2000 New England Patriots, 1980s San Francisco 49ers and 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers in a class apart from all others. Theirs is a dynasty in progress — just getting started, perhaps. But these Chiefs have done enough to belong.

That is the big-picture takeaway from the Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII which delivered Kansas City its third Lombardi Trophy in only five seasons.

What makes an NFL dynasty? Patrick Mahomes- obviously, and there’s more to it than just that.

The Joe Gibbs-era Washington Redskins and early 1990s Dallas Cowboys were great, but they belong in separate categories, as we’ll explain.

The public-address announcer at Allegiant Stadium introduced the Chiefs as a “dynasty in the making” before the team ran onto the field.

For much of the game, the Chiefs played like a dynasty in the unmaking. They fumbled, wasted timeouts, incurred costly penalties and were fortunate to trail only 10-3 at halftime.

But when Kansas City had to score or else, Mahomes and the Chiefs did, just as even the most ardent 49ers fan should have expected.

Here they are, with three Super Bowl victories in five seasons, are they a dynasty?

After studying the greatest Super Bowl-era runs, the 1974-79 Steelers, 1981-94 49ers, 2001-18 Patriots and 2019-23 Chiefs emerged as the only teams fitting what I think are logical requirements for dynasty status:

After studying the greatest Super Bowl-era runs, the 1974-79 Steelers, 1981-94 49ers, 2001-18 Patriots and 2019-23 Chiefs emerged as the only teams fitting what I think are logical requirements for dynasty status:

  • Winning three-plus Super Bowls over five-plus seasons
  • Posting the NFL’s best regular-season winning percentage, beginning with the first Super Bowl-winning season and ending with the most recent one
  • Reaching the conference championship round more than half the time during the dynasty

These benchmarks display dominant success over time.

The Chiefs to their dynastic peers in the Super Bowl era. All the relevant boxes are checked. Kansas City, like New England, has won big in the free-agency era, which complicates keeping great teams together.

For now, the Chiefs are the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the 2003-04 Patriots.

If they become the first team to win three in a row, they’ll match those 1970s Steelers with four Super Bowl victories in a six-season span, leaving only the 1980s 49ers and post-2000 Patriots left to conquer.

That will take time, maybe some luck.

Mahomes did it again on the biggest stage. Just think how many Super Bowls the Chiefs will win once they get Mahomes a little more help on offense. They’ve already given him a young defense that ranked among the NFL’s top five in EPA (Expected Points Added) per play this season.

Red, yellow and white confetti falling at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was the confirmation of their coronation. Once again, the Chiefs experienced the feeling only one team achieves in an NFL season, accomplishing a daunting objective that leads to an exhilarating sensation.

To quote Ric Flair,”Whether you like it or not, learn to love it, because it’s the best thing going. Wooooo!”

Top Chiefs

By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2023 NFL season officially has ended.

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25 – 22 to win Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The Chiefs have repeated as world champions, which has not happened since the 2003-04 New England Patriots.

This is the third Super Bowl win for head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Reid coached the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 – 2012 and he never won a Super Bowl with them. Now that he has an elite QB, he cannot be stopped.

“This is awesome. This is legendary,” game MVP Mahomes said after the win.

Since they won two in a row, Mahomes answered the question of if they should be considered a dynasty now. “It’s the start of one. We aren’t done,” the now three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback said.

Mahomes threw for 333 yards, 2 touchdowns, I interception and rushed for 66 yards on 9 carries.

San Francisco was a more talented team but they faced the best quarterback in the game.

Brock Purdy was the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (262nd overall), making him Mr. Irrelevant. He has far outperformed what anyone could have expected from him. He will have to live with questions about his talent this offseason.

Purdy had 255 passing yards, 1 TD and 12 yards rushing on 3 carries.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year and First-team All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey was the focal point of the offense. He rushed for 80 yards on 22 carries, which is only 3.6 yards per carry. He also lost a fumble in the first half. He led the team in receiving with 8 catches, 80 yards and a score.

KC was down 10 – 0 in the second quarter before they kicked a field goal before halftime.

Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce only had 1 catch for 1 yard at halftime. He finished the game with 9 receptions and 93 yards so they started getting the ball to him in the second half.

He’s best known this season for dating pop star Taylor Swift, who was in attendance.

“Vivaaaaaaaaaaaa, Vivaaaaaaaa, Las Vegasssssssssssssss!!” a hoarse Kelce, Lombardi Trophy in hand, scream-sang into the microphone as CBS’ Jim Nantz interviewed him on stage.

San Fran head coach Kyle Shanahan has the unique distinction of coaching in both of the Super Bowl games that went into overtime. He was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, when they blew the infamous 28 – 3 second half lead. This is also his second Super Bowl loss to Kansas City as the coach of the 49ers.

The 49ers have several playmakers on offense but they did not get the ball to them. Deebo Samuel had 11 targets but only had 3 catches for 33 yards. He also had 3 carries for 8 rushing yards. Tight end George Kittle had 2 catches for 4 yards. Brandon Aiyuk had 3 receptions and 49 yards.

In overtime, both teams get one possession in the playoffs. Several 49ers players said they were not aware of this after the game. They won the coin toss and decided to receive the ball first. They kicked a field goal to take a 22 – 19 lead.

Mecole Hardman caught a three-yard TD to win the game.

“I knew I was going to get the ball, caught the football, and I blacked out,” said Hardman after the game. “I’m not going to lie, I blacked out. I (saw) Pat running towards me, and I’m thinking, ‘We just won.’ I understand now and after that.”

The Franchise

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2024 quarterback class may be the deepest in years at the position.

There is the potential to have as many as six QB’s selected in the first round when April rolls around. Let us look at the top 6 QB’s in the draft:

Caleb Williams, USC: Regarded as the best QB prospect in years, all signs point to Williams being selected by the Chicago Bears with the first overall selection in the draft.

Williams, a former Heisman winner, has the arm and mobility to be a franchise QB in Chicago.

The Bears will part ways with Justin Fields and hopefully learned a valuable lesson about putting pieces around a young QB so he can be successful. Atlanta Falcons are you paying close attention to this situation?

Drake Maye, North Carolina: Expect a run on QB’s with the first few selections, and now the beauty contest begins.

With the third overall pick in the first round the New England Patriots select the big bodied, big armed prototypical QB that fits right into the Patriot way.

Mac Jones will be cast off to greener pastures and Maye will lead a proud franchise for the next 12-15 years. Maye will have a distinguished career for the Patriots.

Jayden Daniels, LSU: The 2023 Heisman winner revives football in the nation’s capital.

The Commanders select Daniels with the second overall pick in the first round and Commanders begin the March back to being a playoff team in the NFC East.

Michael Penix Jr., Washington: Experts think Penix will drop into the second or third round, but his productivity cannot be questioned.

Could the Bucs at 26 or the Steelers at 20 take a shot at a productive player like Penix Jr.?

I can hear the so-called draft experts use every draft day buzz word phrase regarding this player. Penix could be a steal for someone. I predict the Raiders will take the QB with the 44th overall selection in the second round.

Bo Nix, Oregon: Bo Nix is quietly rising up draft boards. I now fully expect Bo Nix to be drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 12th selection to be the replacement for Russell Wilson, who will get traded before the 2024 draft.

Sean Payton will have his QB moving forward to turn Denver into a Super Bowl contender.

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: Jim Harbaugh thinks his national title winning QB should be one of the first QB’s off the board.

I will take it a step further as I think the Minnesota Vikings will draft McCarthy with the 11th pick in the first round to replace Kirk Cousins who will be somewhere else this fall.

McCarthy has the arm talent and mobility that the Vikings want moving forward.

Sleeper Selection: Spencer Rattler, South Carolina: I think Rattler could be on the biggest steals of this draft.

The QB was the only bright spot on a bad football team in 2023. Regardless of what the New York Giants say publicly about Daniel Jones they are not saying it privately.

The Giants take their QB of the future with pick seventy in the third round.

This 2024 QB class will go down as one of the greatest QB draft classes in history a decade from now.

 

Help Needed

By: Colin Lacy

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Just a couple of days after the 2023 Atlanta Falcons season came to a close in New Orleans, the change at the top was made with Arthur Smith out.

Earlier in the month Arthur Blank announced that Raheem Morris would be the new head ball coach in Atlanta.

As the fresh staff begins to roll into Flowery Branch, the biggest question is “How do the Falcons answer some key questions in the NFL Draft?”

The NFL will flock to Detroit on April 25th through 27th for the 89th annual First Year Player Draft, and the 8th name that will be read by Commissioner Roger Goodell will be the newest Atlanta Falcon.

With the 8th pick in the first round, most Falcon fans are praying for a quarterback. Draft experts however aren’t convinced that there will be that first round QB talent available after the seven previous picks are made. So, what are the QB options available?

Most “experts” believe that former USC quarterback Caleb Williams will be the first signal caller to hear his name on draft night. It’s believed that Williams will be taken off the board by the Bears with the number one pick, or at the very latest, will be reunited with former USC coach Kliff Kingsbury in Washington (hired as Commanders OC) with the second pick.

Seems all but certain that Williams will not be on the board for the 8th selection.

The next couple of QB prospects have at least a possibility (some slight, but still possible) of being on the board when Atlanta is on the clock.

North Carolina Drake Maye was destined to be the unanimous first selection, but a up and down 2023 season with the Tar Heels has seen his stock dip just a touch.

Maye is undoubtably uber talented and looks the part at 6’3” 230 pounds. Maye’s combination of accuracy with the arm and ability to make plays on the ground has shown his proficiency at times to run a high-powered offense.

The third “high first round” option potentially available for the “Dirty Birds” is Jayden Daniels. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner may be the player that had his draft stock soar the most in 2023 leading the LSU Tigers.

To me, Daniels seems to be the most realistic and to me frankly seems to be the best fit with the Falcons organization.

Daniels turned into a “human highlight reel” for the Bayou Bengals throwing 40 touchdowns (rushing for 10 more) and only four interceptions on the year.

The biggest improvement (and one of the largest knocks on Daniels entering 2023) was the deep ball, but Daniels proved all the naysayers wrong launching numerous balls down field with impressive, improved accuracy.

There are a couple other QB options in this draft, that if in desperation could be on the board, but I don’t believe are top 10 picks.

A couple names that will be heard in the first two to three rounds will be JJ McCarthy from Michigan, Michael Penix Jr out of Washington, and Bo Nix from Oregon.

To me the Falcons first round selection turns into one question. Do we think either Williams, Maye or Daniels will be available when we hit the clock?

If the answer is yes, fantastic. I think the Falcons will have to make a trade to move up a couple of spots (maybe as few as two spots to the 6th pick). To me, Jayden Daniels should be the play, and a lot depends on if the Bears take a quarterback with the first pick. If so, Atlanta will have to move up to get the former LSU Fighting Tiger.

What are the other needs? What happens if all -you know what- breaks loose, and the three quarterbacks are gone?

The next biggest need for new Head Coach Raheem Morris is an edge rusher on the defensive front. Dallas Turner from Alabama would be a powerful addition to the Falcons organization and would help erase a question that has been near the top of the Atlanta faithful for a number of years.

Overall, the Falcons have the potential to be an up-and-coming team in the near future and I understand that the draft is a full weekend of multiple rounds and the Falcons have eight picks in the Draft, but Atlanta unequivocally needs a quarterback pronto and the draft would be a huge key in addressing the need!

A Different Bird?

By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Atlanta Falcons coaching search is over. They hired Raheem Morris to succeed Arthur Smith.

Smith was fired after the Falcons’ season finale in January.

“He was offered (the job),” Morris’ agent Brian Levy confirmed in a text after reports of the Morris hire. “He accepted.”

“I am overjoyed for the opportunity for my family and I to return to Atlanta as the Falcons head coach,” Morris said in a statement posted on the team’s website.

“We know from firsthand experience what a first-class organization Atlanta is and what this team means to its city and its fans. I am incredibly appreciative of Arthur Blank for his leadership and for this entire organization for putting its trust in me to help lead this team.”

Morris, 47, has extensive coaching experience in the NFL and in the NFC South.

He was the defensive backs coach for Tampa Bay in 2007-08. He became their head coach for 2009-11. In three seasons his record was 17-31. The Buccaneers were 10-6 in 2019 but they missed the playoffs. He also coached in Tampa from 2002-05 as an assistant defensive coach.

He was the defensive backs coach for Washington from 2012-14. He was named the assistant head coach & pass game coordinator for the Falcons in 2015. He was moved to wide receivers coach (2016-19), then defensive coordinator in 2020. Atlanta got off to a 0-5 start in 2020 and Dan Quinn was fired. Morris was promoted to interim head coach on October 12, 2020. They were 4-7 under Morris.

He has been the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams from 2021-23. The Rams won Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022.

Blank said something interesting earlier in January that still resonates as the coaching search came to an end.

“At the end of the day, I understand the final decision will be mine, but mine will be in collaboration with others,” Blank said Jan. 8. “Like I said initially, we’ve kind of begun the process if you will. It doesn’t take long to get going, so we’re moving.

“But I also want to be clear on this is that there is no timetable. The only timetable is to do this correctly, take our time, be thoughtful, do all of the interviews, be respectful, make sure we have a full diverse set of candidates that we’re considering in every way.”

I’m not sure what to make of this hire. Morris has proven that he’s a good defensive coach.

Atlanta needs to get a franchise quarterback as soon as possible. They have a good offensive line and several talented skill position players.

Some examples are running backs Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London.

He will need to hire an offensive coordinator that will put the ball in their hands.

Up to this point General Manager Terry Fontenot has failed to address the quarterback position.

This will be the biggest hurdle to overcome for the team to have success. If Desmond Ridder is under center in September then Morris is destined to fail in his first year.

 

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