I wonder whether the Falcons' QB moves this year were a reaction to how the team mismanaged the end of the Matt Ryan era.
To recap: Ryan had his MVP season in 2016 when Kyle Shanahan was the Falcons OC. Shanahan took the San Francisco head coaching job in 2017, and Ryan fell back to being a very good but not great QB. By the end of the 2019 season, it was pretty clear to everyone that his arm strength and mobility, which were never his best traits, were on the decline. Ryan was still good, just clearly past his prime.
Even though Ryan still had 3 years remaining on a record-setting deal, the 2020 draft was when the team could have begun its transition to the next franchise QB by drafting either Jordan Love or Jalen Hurts. They chose instead to shore up the defense and ride with veterans on offense (Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, etc). I don't think anyone criticized them at the time, but in retrospect, it was a missed opportunity. It's important for this narrative to remember the teams that took Love and Hurts, the Packers and the Eagles, also took a ton of flak. History ended up validating their decisions.
By spring of 2021, it was too late. Ryan was teetering on the cliff, but the '21 draft didn't offer the Falcons a chance to select a potential franchise QB. The Falcons traded Ryan in 2022 - a rare good move for the front office - but the available QB talent that year was horrendous. They could have traded for Chicago's top pick in 2023, and maybe they tried to, but we all know how that turned out.
Given this history, it makes sense to me that the Falcons seized the chance in 2024 to draft a QB prospect with franchise potential. It also makes sense that they signed a strong veteran QB to serve as a bridge to a new era. I still believe both decisions are justifiable even when we cast Michael Penix and Kirk Cousins (and his contract) in the prospect and veteran roles. Neither are ideal in my eyes, but as we have seen, the ideal opportunity rarely appears, and it usually doesn't arrive with a glaring signpost attached.
I'm willing to hold off on the rhetorical fire for now. I don't believe the Falcons will win the Super Bowl any time soon, but by addressing the QB position in this very weird manner, I do think they have put themselves on a path to playing winning football for the next half dozen years.
Don't play Civilization but loved the breakdown. And pet pics are always welcome! Always welcome insights into the person behind the snarky insights...or is it insightful snarkiness?
I'm not sure the math you're using ("The picks they traded to the Texans became (after other trades) Jordan Davis and John Metchie: not exactly instant-impact guys.")?...
Cleveland originally dealt *six* picks to the Texans. Yes, those picks were then turned into multiple other assets (see below), and yes, it's possible the '23 & '24 picks would've been impacted with competent QB play in '22 & '23. Regardless, the picks ended up being:
'22 1.13 & 4.104
'23 1.12 & 3.73
'24 1.23 & 4.105
FYI - and, again, the Texans flipped and dealt these picks like they were giving out Halloween candy after 10PM, here's the net result of how the Texans eventually used their picks: G Kenyon Green, RB Dameon Pierce, DE Will Anderson Jr., WR Tank Dell, CB Kamari Lassiter, LB Jamal Hill, S Caden Bullock.
More so in college than the NFL, but Chip Kelly's offense was breathtaking when it was clicking. There are many, MANY problems with both the man and his system, but when they were ripping off yards in chunks and snapping the ball before DL could even get into position, it was a thing to behold.
Yeah I did enjoy his first season with the Eagles, it was a breath of fresh air after Andy Reid’s somewhat sluggish teams. Of course, Reid was and is a fantastic coach, as evidenced by how quickly he was scooped up. I’m glad for him that he’s won Super Bowls with the Chiefs and will end up in the HoF, but I wish he’d had those years with the Eagles.
And then even Internet scouting experts began to notice that you could tell which way a run was going based on whether the RB and TE were on the same side of the formation.
And then the NFL clarified that a QB "faking" a read option could get hit by defenders, and Chip realized he could not expose guys like Sam Bradford to those hits. Then everything just got dumb.
"The most brutal injuries I have ever seen in person took place on high school fields. They often involved a bouncing kickoff landing next to some surprised would-be blocker, who stumbles over to retrieve the ball just as two defenders at full gallop crash into him."
My brother-in-law got his skull fractured on exactly this play, in a touch football game among astrophysicists. All it takes is one person with not much field awareness or control of their limbs.
For me, there have been many aesthetically pleasing units: colts offense with Manning, 2007 Patriots offense, 49ers offense with Shanahan, the current Dolphins offense, the 85/86 Bears defense, 2000 Ravens and 2002 Buccaneers defense and so on. They were all a pleasure for me to watch.
I'm biased....but watching 70's era Landry-led offenses and defenses was a lot of fun. Landry embraced the "pro-set" offense aggressively, utilizing 3 WRs more than other teams during that era, re-introduced the shotgun and had a bewildering array of gadget plays that seemed to always work. Add Staubach as the conductor and yeah...lot of fun.
In addition, his flex defense was unlike any other and always seemed to feature a deep, punishing front four that terrorized QBs. Also a lot of fun.
Especially in end of half and end of game situations. You know how guys like Romo says that in those situations you want to get that FIRST first down?
I feel like Landy dialed those things up on the very first or very second play of those situations and suddenly Tony Dorsett was in the open with the ball.
Middle screens, tight end screens, almost always prefaced by pre-snap motion and multiple options for defenders to react to.
Really appreciate you mentioning that. Cowboys have mostly been shit at screen game ever since, but yeah......Tom Landry's screen game schemes are unsurpassed.
The 2022 Eagles were beautiful for me, in that I never once thought they could be counted out. Everyone seems to think the Brotherly Shove takes the drama out of one-yard to go plays, but I notice that other teams tried it last year and mostly failed. It looks brutal - and it is - but if you’re a fan of O-Line play, it’s actually very well coordinated by the Eagles, at least.
Love that 70s carpetting! Also, Josh Allen gets some nicknames for his hero-mode play. I've always thought that "Frank the Tank" really sums up his attitude!
Oh, and I know making fun of Aaron Rodgers is a hook of the column, but maybe it took an alien to help take someone almost as raw as Trey Lance but not as talented and have him already at 2 contract extensions during 18 starts. Mentor excelsior, dammit 😉
As for the aesthetic question, I think there are really some instances of "violent beauty": a Kam Chancellor hit stick, a Trent Williams pancake block, a Derrick Henry stiff hand. Also, technical beauty: an Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary, an OBJ impossible catch, a 5 minute scramble from Kyler Murray until someone comes open.
But those are usually correlated with winning. If they're not, they're not "on par", but consolation prizes, such as: "yes, the Chargers lost again, but did you see the Herbert Twitter highlights?".
Surface rust - aka patina - is gorgeous. The kind of bottom-up rust that happens in wintry places that use road salt and results in the truck dissolving, not so much.
Nonsense like that is part of why I now only get to watch the Eagles play live when they play at SoFi.
Excuse the slight to the XFL as I never watched a lick of it. I should always remember that the NFL is a derivative league and they seldom, if ever, do anything novel. Of course, there is that OT rule thing...
I really feel like the Russell Wilson thing is weird. Maybe my recall is a little faulty, but it seems like he was playing at a super-elite level for his entire career, had an injury (2021?), and returned as a completely different player.
Style wise, he always reminded me of Montana, kind of a controlled creativity. But some switch got flipped and, seemingly overnight, he became Sam Bradford or something.
To my eye, peak Wilson was the equal of any of his contemporaries (Brady, Brees, Rodgers etc.). Maybe he was just never quite as great as I thought he was.
I think you might have correct perspective about the Chargers, despite the Herbert schtick -- he could reach his full potential, be a superior version of Rivers, have All-Pro seasons, etc -- while the Chargers go 8-9. That's probably still more attention than Spanos wants anyway, I've always thought of the Chargers as some sort of seedy shell company.
I wonder whether the Falcons' QB moves this year were a reaction to how the team mismanaged the end of the Matt Ryan era.
To recap: Ryan had his MVP season in 2016 when Kyle Shanahan was the Falcons OC. Shanahan took the San Francisco head coaching job in 2017, and Ryan fell back to being a very good but not great QB. By the end of the 2019 season, it was pretty clear to everyone that his arm strength and mobility, which were never his best traits, were on the decline. Ryan was still good, just clearly past his prime.
Even though Ryan still had 3 years remaining on a record-setting deal, the 2020 draft was when the team could have begun its transition to the next franchise QB by drafting either Jordan Love or Jalen Hurts. They chose instead to shore up the defense and ride with veterans on offense (Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, etc). I don't think anyone criticized them at the time, but in retrospect, it was a missed opportunity. It's important for this narrative to remember the teams that took Love and Hurts, the Packers and the Eagles, also took a ton of flak. History ended up validating their decisions.
By spring of 2021, it was too late. Ryan was teetering on the cliff, but the '21 draft didn't offer the Falcons a chance to select a potential franchise QB. The Falcons traded Ryan in 2022 - a rare good move for the front office - but the available QB talent that year was horrendous. They could have traded for Chicago's top pick in 2023, and maybe they tried to, but we all know how that turned out.
Given this history, it makes sense to me that the Falcons seized the chance in 2024 to draft a QB prospect with franchise potential. It also makes sense that they signed a strong veteran QB to serve as a bridge to a new era. I still believe both decisions are justifiable even when we cast Michael Penix and Kirk Cousins (and his contract) in the prospect and veteran roles. Neither are ideal in my eyes, but as we have seen, the ideal opportunity rarely appears, and it usually doesn't arrive with a glaring signpost attached.
I'm willing to hold off on the rhetorical fire for now. I don't believe the Falcons will win the Super Bowl any time soon, but by addressing the QB position in this very weird manner, I do think they have put themselves on a path to playing winning football for the next half dozen years.
Wow, that was way too long. I'll never do it again, I promise.
It's a solid theory as to what they were thinking. That doesn't make it good team-building process!
As someone who doesn't follow the Falcons closely, I found it educational, rather than too long. Cheers.
Off topic: there's a Brazilian singer named Paula Toller. For a moment I was wondering if she followed the NFL and Mike Tanier...
I really appreciate that both of your dog pics are them on a couch :3 Frank the Tank looks like an absolute sweetheart
My name is Michael and I support this message.
Don't play Civilization but loved the breakdown. And pet pics are always welcome! Always welcome insights into the person behind the snarky insights...or is it insightful snarkiness?
I'm not sure the math you're using ("The picks they traded to the Texans became (after other trades) Jordan Davis and John Metchie: not exactly instant-impact guys.")?...
Cleveland originally dealt *six* picks to the Texans. Yes, those picks were then turned into multiple other assets (see below), and yes, it's possible the '23 & '24 picks would've been impacted with competent QB play in '22 & '23. Regardless, the picks ended up being:
'22 1.13 & 4.104
'23 1.12 & 3.73
'24 1.23 & 4.105
FYI - and, again, the Texans flipped and dealt these picks like they were giving out Halloween candy after 10PM, here's the net result of how the Texans eventually used their picks: G Kenyon Green, RB Dameon Pierce, DE Will Anderson Jr., WR Tank Dell, CB Kamari Lassiter, LB Jamal Hill, S Caden Bullock.
Thanks! I was going for the first and second picks of 2022, and the original draft order, not the subsequent trades the Texans did.
I guess that was my original thought: a Browns team with Mayfield at QB and all that additional talent would be awfully good.
My mother had a standard poodle who, when frightened by a thunderstorm, would play the upright piano in her sitting room.
I don’t have a recording.
Probably sounded like Coldplay.
This! So funny!
More so in college than the NFL, but Chip Kelly's offense was breathtaking when it was clicking. There are many, MANY problems with both the man and his system, but when they were ripping off yards in chunks and snapping the ball before DL could even get into position, it was a thing to behold.
Yeah I did enjoy his first season with the Eagles, it was a breath of fresh air after Andy Reid’s somewhat sluggish teams. Of course, Reid was and is a fantastic coach, as evidenced by how quickly he was scooped up. I’m glad for him that he’s won Super Bowls with the Chiefs and will end up in the HoF, but I wish he’d had those years with the Eagles.
I loved it!
And then even Internet scouting experts began to notice that you could tell which way a run was going based on whether the RB and TE were on the same side of the formation.
And then the NFL clarified that a QB "faking" a read option could get hit by defenders, and Chip realized he could not expose guys like Sam Bradford to those hits. Then everything just got dumb.
I was astounded by how fast it went from "innovative" to "utterly predictable". A Darwinian example of how ruthless professional sports is.
"The most brutal injuries I have ever seen in person took place on high school fields. They often involved a bouncing kickoff landing next to some surprised would-be blocker, who stumbles over to retrieve the ball just as two defenders at full gallop crash into him."
My brother-in-law got his skull fractured on exactly this play, in a touch football game among astrophysicists. All it takes is one person with not much field awareness or control of their limbs.
Gosh, that is awful. Sorry.
As much as is possible, it was a minor skull fracture, and he is 100% fine. Well, I mean he's no worse than he was before.
For me, there have been many aesthetically pleasing units: colts offense with Manning, 2007 Patriots offense, 49ers offense with Shanahan, the current Dolphins offense, the 85/86 Bears defense, 2000 Ravens and 2002 Buccaneers defense and so on. They were all a pleasure for me to watch.
I’d add the Kurt Warner Greatest Show on Turf and Dan Fouts Chargers offense.
I'm biased....but watching 70's era Landry-led offenses and defenses was a lot of fun. Landry embraced the "pro-set" offense aggressively, utilizing 3 WRs more than other teams during that era, re-introduced the shotgun and had a bewildering array of gadget plays that seemed to always work. Add Staubach as the conductor and yeah...lot of fun.
In addition, his flex defense was unlike any other and always seemed to feature a deep, punishing front four that terrorized QBs. Also a lot of fun.
I always thought that the Cowboys under Landry were the best screen-passing team of all time.
Very, very true!
Especially in end of half and end of game situations. You know how guys like Romo says that in those situations you want to get that FIRST first down?
I feel like Landy dialed those things up on the very first or very second play of those situations and suddenly Tony Dorsett was in the open with the ball.
Middle screens, tight end screens, almost always prefaced by pre-snap motion and multiple options for defenders to react to.
Really appreciate you mentioning that. Cowboys have mostly been shit at screen game ever since, but yeah......Tom Landry's screen game schemes are unsurpassed.
The Dan Marino Dolphins
Agree with 85/86 Bears - they were a threat to score on every play
Any Peyton Manning led offense until he lost his fastball
49ers offense under Bill Walsh
49ers offense with Steve Young
Rams greatest show on turf
I'd agree wiht 2007 Pats offense...except teams figured them out by the end of the year and they from averaging 35+ pts to 20+ pts.
Any 90's run game coached my Mike Shanahan
Early 90's triplets Cowboys offense
Current Dolphins offense
Mahomes/Reid-era Chiefs offense
Purple people eaters-era Vikings defense
early K-Gun Bills offense with Kelly / Thomas / Reed
The 2022 Eagles were beautiful for me, in that I never once thought they could be counted out. Everyone seems to think the Brotherly Shove takes the drama out of one-yard to go plays, but I notice that other teams tried it last year and mostly failed. It looks brutal - and it is - but if you’re a fan of O-Line play, it’s actually very well coordinated by the Eagles, at least.
"I wouldn’t even dare do it at the New York Times, an outlet whose writers often find sublime beauty in their innermost navels."
(crying laughing)
Love that 70s carpetting! Also, Josh Allen gets some nicknames for his hero-mode play. I've always thought that "Frank the Tank" really sums up his attitude!
That carpeting actually replaced the 1970s shag carpeting we had when I was littler. There was also much panelling. And frosted mirrors.
Every suburban kid from the 70's knows exactly what you're talking about.
Oh, and I know making fun of Aaron Rodgers is a hook of the column, but maybe it took an alien to help take someone almost as raw as Trey Lance but not as talented and have him already at 2 contract extensions during 18 starts. Mentor excelsior, dammit 😉
As for the aesthetic question, I think there are really some instances of "violent beauty": a Kam Chancellor hit stick, a Trent Williams pancake block, a Derrick Henry stiff hand. Also, technical beauty: an Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary, an OBJ impossible catch, a 5 minute scramble from Kyler Murray until someone comes open.
But those are usually correlated with winning. If they're not, they're not "on par", but consolation prizes, such as: "yes, the Chargers lost again, but did you see the Herbert Twitter highlights?".
NFL beauty is always of the "gosh that rusty old pickup truck has character" variety.
Photographers around the world can back you up on this. Rust is gorgeous
Surface rust - aka patina - is gorgeous. The kind of bottom-up rust that happens in wintry places that use road salt and results in the truck dissolving, not so much.
Nonsense like that is part of why I now only get to watch the Eagles play live when they play at SoFi.
@rick goddard, do not be impressed by the NFL’s imagination on the new kick off – they got the idea from the XFL.
Excuse the slight to the XFL as I never watched a lick of it. I should always remember that the NFL is a derivative league and they seldom, if ever, do anything novel. Of course, there is that OT rule thing...
The Falcons would accomplish something amazing, indeed, if they were to win the NFC North. ;)
I really feel like the Russell Wilson thing is weird. Maybe my recall is a little faulty, but it seems like he was playing at a super-elite level for his entire career, had an injury (2021?), and returned as a completely different player.
Style wise, he always reminded me of Montana, kind of a controlled creativity. But some switch got flipped and, seemingly overnight, he became Sam Bradford or something.
To my eye, peak Wilson was the equal of any of his contemporaries (Brady, Brees, Rodgers etc.). Maybe he was just never quite as great as I thought he was.
I think you might have correct perspective about the Chargers, despite the Herbert schtick -- he could reach his full potential, be a superior version of Rivers, have All-Pro seasons, etc -- while the Chargers go 8-9. That's probably still more attention than Spanos wants anyway, I've always thought of the Chargers as some sort of seedy shell company.