Every single offseason of Terry Fontenot’s tenure as Falcons GM revolved around the quarterback position, and that’ll continue.
Whether it was finding Matt Ryan’s successor in 2021 or the long-term answer every year after, it’s been central to every offseason in Atlanta, and despite the Falcons having their quarterback of the future in Michael Penix Jr., the position will still be a hot topic in Atlanta in the coming months.
For the next three weeks, Kirk Cousins will dominate headlines. The Falcons and Cousins have a March 17th deadline to decide, which is when his $10 million roster bonus is due. Even though Fontenot remains adamant the organization is comfortable keeping Cousins as Penix’s backup, most expect the Falcons to part ways with the veteran in some capacity.
Regardless of whether it’s a trade or an outright release, the Falcons will have to find a backup quarterback if the do indeed end the Cousins era in Atlanta. ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the Falcons could be a landing spot for one of the handful of reclamation projects in free agency.
“If there’s no starting job available for Winston or Jones, the QB2 spot on Atlanta’s roster looks promising. Drake London is a great receiver. (Does he clear the elite bar? Jury’s still out.) Michael Penix Jr. is coming off a rookie season and has yet to prove he belongs. Though early returns are promising, he has a big injury history. The potential for grabbing snaps is high, and the bar for veteran quarterback play in Atlanta, which most recently watched Mariota, Taylor Heinicke and Kirk Cousins, is extremely low.”
The quarterbacks listed were Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, Jamies Winston, and Zach Wilson. Darnold is going to be a starter somewhere in 2025, so he’s not an option, leaving the other four as options to backup Michael Penix Jr.
As Graziano notes, Jones and Winston should be at the top of the Falcons wishlist, but I think I speak for all fans when I say Jameis Winston would be a dream. He’s beloved in the lockerroom and could step in for a few games; however, more than anything, Winston is entertaining as hell.
Out of the bunch, I’m not sure if Winston would be the most capable backup quarterback on the field, but he would give Penix and the Falcons his undying support and give the fans endless moments of entertainment. Sign me up.
The Braves didn’t make a lot of moves this offseason, with the only notable one being Jurickson Profar. However, in Atlanta’s mind, the additions of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. back from injury trump any acquisition.
Strider was the Cy Young favorite going into the 2024 season, and the expectation is that he’ll miss minimal time as he returns from internal brace surgery. At his best, the Braves ace is among the best arms in baseball.
Ronald Acuña Jr. should be regarded just as highly, if not higher. When we last saw a fully healthy Acuña across an entire season, the Venezuelan superstar put together a historic campaign en route to unanimous MVP honors.
During that season, Ronald Acuña led the NL in runs (149), hits (217), stolen bases (73), on-base percentage (.416) and OPS (1.012). He ranked second in slugging percentage (.596) and batting average (.337). His 41 home runs and 106 RBIs ranked among the top six in the league too.
But the combination of speed and power is what that season will be remembered for — becoming the first player to hit 40-plus homers and tally 70-plus steals in a season. Previously, nobody had eclipsed more than 46 steals during a 40-homer season. That was the first time anybody had more than 52 steals during a 30-homer season.
When healthy, there might not be a more electric player in the sport. A healthy Ronald Acuña Jr. is otherworldly, and his new teammate knows that. Profar has played with and against the best players on the planet. He’s played with the richest man in baseball in Juan Soto, and Profar believes Acuña is on a different level.
“Acuña and Tatis are a different level,” Jurickson Profar said. “I think maybe Ohtani is up there with them. They are in a league of their own. If they’re healthy, the sky is the limit for them.”
Juan Soto garnered the largest contract we’ve ever seen, which eclipsed Ohtani’s previous record-breaking deal. They’ll rightfully get a lot of the headlines, but when he’s healthy, Ronald Acuña Jr. is different.
As I always say, Ronald Acuña Jr. is your favorite player’s favorite player.
