New Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was straightforward when discussing his quarterback situation heading into the 2024 season.
"If we had better quarterback play, I may not be standing here at the podium," Morris said at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday.
The Falcons finished 7-10 in a mediocre NFC South last season, and head coach Arthur Smith shifted between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke throughout the campaign.
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Falcons fans were desperate for one of those quarterbacks to thrive with solid offensive weapons around them, including Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson, all first-round draft choices.
Ridder, a third-round draft pick in 2022, was graded the worst NFL starting quarterback (38th overall), per Pro Football Focus. Heinicke didn’t do much to win the job in the five games he played.
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Both quarterbacks are on the depth chart heading into 2024, but based on Morris’ comments, neither is the signal-caller he wishes to see in Week 1.
So, all options are on the table for Atlanta, which owns the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has assets to make a trade.
Atlanta is expected to be in play for Justin Fields, the Bears’ first-round pick who could be on the move if GM Ryan Poles decides to start over with a rookie quarterback with the No. 1 overall selection.
The Falcons also have $32.8 million in projected salary cap space to bring in a free agent quarterback like veteran Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons could also use the eighth overall pick for a quarterback, though Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are expected to be gone by the time Atlanta picks. The Falcons could also target QBs like Michael Penix Jr. or J.J. McCarthy.
