Atlanta Falcons waste assets with Penix Jr. pick, Cousins contract | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

PFT revisits the Atlanta Falcons’ shocking decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. and how it reflects the organization’s mismanagement of assets in an era when they’re “at a premium.” #NBCSports #NFL #atlantafalcons
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Atlanta Falcons waste assets with Penix Jr. pick, Cousins contract | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
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it was an interesting Thursday night it
was
and you’re right it was going exactly as
expected I was talking to my wife and my
son about this on Saturday night it’s
like you know if I had any desire to
gamble and I still don’t know what the
NBC policy is because we got people who
work for us who and with us who just
openly talk about all the bets they make
right and it’s like I saw that policy at
one point it’s like I don’t think we
should be making any bets based on this
policy maybe there’s some dispensation I
don’t know about but I got no interest
in doing it I got no desire to do it but
man it would be easy to make a little
money because we know we know and most
people know by the time you get to
Thursday if you’re really locked in and
paying attention to it we were able to
Rattle off the first four picks the only
point it got interesting was pick five
we didn’t know what the Chargers were
going to do and it wasn’t a surprise
when they did what they did and then the
Giants did what you know they should
have done and then the Titans did what
they should have done and then boom the
Falcons throw everyone everyone involved
a curveball even though and you
know we did mention it on Thursday we
didn’t spend a whole lot of time on it
but I went back and found it in the
podcast we talked about I said that
Michael
penx could be the oh moment of
round one do you remember that yeah I
do and I mentioned the Falcons and I
said it would be stunning because of the
presence of Kirk Cousins we didn’t
really delve into it but I mentioned
eight as the the the ceiling for penic
but I wouldn’t have expected it I don’t
think anybody expected it but they had
been linked to him and there had been a
report and see you can’t trust these
reports that come out that they were
going to host him in Atlanta my
understanding is they never did they
went to see him throw on air yes in a
private workout they that’s it but still
that’s that apparently was enough to
create this grand plan that we’re going
to take a guy who turns 24 next week
we’re going to park him on the bench in
definitely 6 weeks after we gave $100
million fully guaranteed to Kirk Cousins
and it’s going to be perfectly fine and
it’s going to work out without a hitch
without a glitch without a problem
either it’s
genius or it is completely and totally
nonsensical and I’ve yet to hear anyone
say anything to explain it in the
aftermath of the selection to make me
think that the Falcons are secret
Geniuses no I can’t I I’m definitely not
going to take the genius side on that
one right I think it’s all bad right I
mean I will say that it’s a quarterback
that they liked a whole lot definitely
yeah right and I’m not don’t cousins
don’t sign Gardner mid shoe and then
draft it exactly right I mean why did we
not delve into it and pick number eight
on Thursday because we thought it was
badshit crazy and we were like what well
there’s no point in wasting time on that
that’s why nobody delved into it right I
mean nobody did I mean to to your point
first off you know here here’s the big
thing I I think the one we know the NFL
assets are at a premium right we’re at
the the the ultimate assets NFL like
part or a part of the the history of the
game more now than ever right with just
the way the salary cap is free agency
guys and teams wantan to me players
wanting to change teams all the time
right I want a new contract I want this
I want to trade here right the draft
itself there’s so many things going on
assets are at a premium right the
quarterback assets are at a premium so
they first round picks are at a premium
they’ve wasted in you know here in in
this off season yeah a lot of a you know
a lot of assets on one position that
doesn’t make sense and the in the world
of you got to spread it out across your
roster and build a football team and
that’s where the first thing you go wait
what that doesn’t make sense the second
thing that doesn’t make sense Mike to
what we’re talking about is like we knew
the Atlanta f needed a new quarterback
in when November to be fair right early
November we’re like they’re they’re
going to be in the quarterback hunt last
year right all right also around that
same time we knew Michael penx was going
to be on the board at number eight like
really right around then nobody was
going Michael penck is going top five
pick certainly when the NFL season ended
and college football ended nobody was
going oh Michael penck is top five and
he fell out of that conversation it was
he’s a second rounder he’s older he’s
got injury issues where is he going to
be him being this far up in the process
to begin with was news to everybody just
like two weeks ago right I mean you my
man you were texting me I mean I’m
hearing penx is going to go in the first
half of the first round no doubt about
it right I was hearing the same thing
okay okay but so we still that was
surprising we knew he was going to be
there at eight they knew they needed a
quarterback you should have done due
diligence work already before you even
get to the free agency conversation with
Kirk cousin already have an inkling of
wait we love this guy we’re going to do
this we’re at 8 nobody thinks he’s going
that early we’re going to be fine he’s
going to fall right to us let’s not give
Kirk cousin $180 million I think that’s
the first thing you look at to just go
why how how did this happen and it
doesn’t make sense it does not make
sense and as we search for any flash any
indication any hint of Genius on the
part of the Atlanta Falcons here are
some of the things that general manager
Terry fno and head coach Raheem Morris
had to say over the weekend in repeated
press conferences where inevitably the
pennx question came up have a
listen it’s nothing to do with the
injury I think if we were fortunate
enough we talked about it to have Kurt
for his 12-year career with us uh we
still be in that position thinking about
potentially going to get our quarterback
or going to get the quarterback for the
future and that’s the nature of the
Beast right we were lucky enough to
watch Matt Ryan play 14 years you know
you know I believe 13 of them with the
Atlanta Falcons and at some point you
got to find a way to have that
succession plan in place and just what
happened it poses itself tonight if you
believe in a quarterback you have to
take him and if he sits for four or five
years that’s that’s a great problem to
have because because we’re doing so well
at that position so it’s it’s just as as
simple as if if you see a guy that you
believe in at that position you have to
take them if you’d have told me in
January m
that when we’re sitting there and um and
the quarterback you wonder who’s going
to be our quarterback next year right if
you’d have told me at that time that
we’re going to have Kurt Cousins for
right now and Michael pennick for the
future I would have told you it was a
pipe dream I would have told you that if
you’d have told me that I would have
said sign me up for that like that’s a
this is exciting we’re very excited it’s
the most important position in Pro
Sports it’s the most important position
position in Pro Sports and to feel this
good about it right now that we couldn’t
be more
excited well a lot of has to do with the
fact that at the time they would have
been told they’d have both Michael penck
and Kirk Cousins their options were
Desmond Ritter and Taylor hinek so yeah
it sounds pretty good it’s not the
question of amassing two great pieces in
their estimation it’s the presence of
those two pieces in the same locker room
on the same side on
theam and all the questions that it
raises cuz I guarantee you this if you
had told Kirk Cousins back when you were
enticing him to come to Atlanta that
you’re going to take Michael penck Jr
with the eighth overall pick Kirk
Cousins would have stayed in Minnesota
100% a 100 right I mean you’re spot on
Mike I mean I think that’s the next part
of this you know conversation is is The
Unwanted here we go distraction in the
first year of Raheem Morris one we
talked about the assets and all of that
and right the assets are so you know
important to the franchise well one of
the biggest assets a top 10 pick you’re
telling he’s not going to be able to
play for maybe four years that’s not
that’s not the way football works that’s
not a smart pick then either whoa top 10
pick great asset it might not work for a
few years I what that that’s a waste of
an asset that is let alone you’re in
danger of wasting the asset of $180
million of the starting quarterback
you’re there I mean what I mean this is
what I said to a few people on radio
yeah you got older white guy quarterback
right I mean he threw the ball on a
tennis court we’ve already made fun of
him a little bit for his athletic
ability and and the lack thereof right
and I’m having fun here right his arm is
not famous for being a wow arm it’s a
good arm but it’s not a wow arm now
you’re going to have a guy that’s out
there and I mean it’s spring chicken and
we just saw him run Michael penck Jr Run
4 five at his pro day and his pecs and
his shoulders look good and anybody you
talk to that watched him throw a
football goes it’s as good as anybody
I’ve ever seen ever right I mean he gets
thrown around with names people like
when I watch him throw it’s like it’s
like Josh Allen it’s Justin Herbert when
people see him in person that’s how it
pops off his hand right so that that
you’re telling me that’s a good thing is
Kirk Cousins just kind of feeling his
way like we always talk about the second
week of training camp everybody’s like
Michael penck is freaking throwing
lasers everywhere I mean yeah Kirk looks
good he’s smart he’s doing the right
thing but I mean Michael penck wow wow
wow and then you’re going to tell me if
they don’t start off two and if they
don’t start off with a good record if
they start out two and three right and
the offense just looks okay like duh
what do we think’s going to happen there
I mean the older mature quarterback the
guy that maybe was the most ready to
play of any of the guys that came out in
the draft we’re going to ah no you’re
not ready yet all these things as you
say them out loud they don’t make sense
and that’s where I think the whole NFL
world thinks the pick’s crazy and I
think that they would have been fine in
the regular season playing at 1:00
Eastern I think cousins will do well
with that team with all the weapons they
have the question is what happens when
you get to Prime Time and the playoffs
because that’s the narrative it’s baked
in since 2014 2015 when he first became
a regular player in Washington with one
playoff win for his entire career and
not that many playoff appearances but
now you undermine his ability to do even
that I mean you do you do think about
think about and I think this helps
explain the surprise that was
articulated by his agent and I think the
way it happened on Thursday night
initially the agent is texting a bunch
of people off the Record and finally
just decides screw it I’m going to come
out and say it that is how dismayed I
think Kirk was that he felt like
collectively with the agent we need to
say what we’re going to say here
because instead of taking Michael penx
Jr what they could have done what they
should have done and what Kirk
Cousins surely and fairly presumed they
would have done was take a player that’s
going to help them win now exactly it’s
gonna help Kirk saying I’m I’m GNA do
everything in my power to deliver a
championship to Atlanta oh but the team
isn’t I’m only here for three or 4 years
and they draft a guy who if everything
goes well isn’t going to play how does
that help me win a championship exactly
how does that help this organization
finally exercise the Demons of 28 to3 it
doesn’t it doesn’t this is worrying
about the
future while you still haven’t even
begun to experience the present how do
you call it a succession plan when the
guy has never worn your helmet before
this isn’t Brett Favre to Aaron roders
this isn’t Aaron roders to Jordan love
this is ridiculous this is mid-level
quarterback who shows flashes of top
five to top 10 under the right
circumstances who maybe has a final act
in him that will allow him to achieve
something he’s never achieved before and
you undermine him before he even goes
under Center the first time it makes
zero sense and it it strips the humanity
completely out of the equation because
at the end of the day you got a guy who
is now pissed at you and I can’t wait to
hear what he says I can’t wait to to
watch study listen to Kirk Cousins the
first time he has to address what’s
happened and how he reconciles it with
the promises that were made to him
directly and indirectly explicitly and
subtly
when they told him you’re a guy and
we’re going to win we’re all in to win
oh but we’re don’t worry about the
eighth overall pick we could have gotten
Dallas Turner we could have gotten Byron
Murphy we could have gotten somebody to
help you win now
but we’re gonna Bank a guy and don’t pay
no attention to him don’t worry about
him don’t look over your shoulder at
him until you have to until it’s too
late until you’re benched or traded or
cut because the Michael penck Jr era
arrived prematurely yeah it it’s it’s
it’s odd it’s odd well we talk about
this a lot right I mean great teams want
their their quarterback to be the
general the guy that’s the commander of
the ship he leads that now they got two
uh Sergeant General yeah Sergeant
General exactly right right so you know
now they got two of them in there right
they got two guys that are kind of alpha
male is right and then one okay is yes a
a top 10 pick who been in the Heisman
conversation and everybody’s been
watching on Saturdays in college
football and he’s been tearing it up
right and what you don’t think like the
young weapons of Atlanta won’t want to
be like whoa the future bejan Robinson
Drake London Kyle Pitts or wait you know
older been there quarterback that right
now only going to look like he’s going
to be here for two years and he’s out of
here right so already I got to start
going well I like the other I got to
make sure I’m friends with the other guy
cuz the the guy we just I we talked
about trading jerseys and everything
he’s not going to be here that long I
mean it’s yes it’s odd it’s odd let
alone to your point there a top 10 pick
is one of the biggest assets you can
acquire in all of football you know if
there was a worth a dollar amount
whatever it’s like having the thousand
bill I mean it’s it’s a special entity
it’s a special thing it’s the type of
thing that like you’re saying hey our
team’s pretty good we need this one
piece oh wait we got Byron Murphy now in
the middle of our defense oh our
defense is legit now like no now it’s
it’s it’s not that and they try to make
up with that with defensive picks but
yeah I mean to me they they’ve caused a
problem here and uh it’s it’s shocking
and I’ll tell you this Mike from all du
accounts from what I’ve heard around the
league I think Raheem Morris welcomed
this from what I know he he I at first
when this happened I was like man Raheem
Morris must be like what I need a
defensive player I need that but I’ve
heard from people around the league that
he signed off on this like they
something like they saw him work out or
something in the process and they were
blown away and they said we’re going to
do it and then they approached ownership
about the conversation is what I’ve been
led to believe so far in this
process which makes me wonder how much
Mahem Morris really believes in Kurt
Cousins I think that’s what I keep
coming back to this is a an implicit if
not flat out
indictment of what they truly think they
have in Kirk Cousins and it invites fair
questions as to why in the hell they
made a nine figure investment in a guy
right who now has a shelf
life somewhere along the lines of a loaf
of bread right the mold is going to show
up potentially quickly especially when
you have a brand new loaf right out of
the oven top 10 pick that people may
decide to clamor for hi it’s Mike Flor
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