Trade Pitch Sees Falcons Shipping Off Pitts In Three Team Blockbuster

The multi-team trade is a main stay in the lesser of the three major American leagues. The MLB, NHL, and NBA utilize these kind of deals often in an effort to make the money work. However, in the NFL money is universal, everyone can afford a super star. That didn’t stop Bleacher Reports Brent Sobleski from running the thee-team trade thought experiment.

In Sobleski’s first scenario, the Atlanta Falcons are tied in trade talks with both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts.

Bengals Get: TE Kyle Pitts
Colts Get: DE Trey Hendrickson
Falcons Get: DT DeForest Buckner

“Indianapolis can ship Buckner to the Atlanta Falcons, who have looked to drastically reset their defensive front this offseason,” Sobleski proposes. “The nine-year veteran can serve as the anchor to a group that will now feature first-rounders Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. flying off the edges. Buckner’s ability to defend the run and collapse the pocket should be highly beneficial for those rookies.”

Sobleski is not impressed with the 24-year-old Pitts, who he thinks has not lived up to the expectations that came with his fourth overall selection four years ago. However, he thinks a trip to Cincinnati could reinvent his game.

“Pitts working in the same offense as Chase and Higgins to open up the middle of the field with Burrow throwing to him can be downright deadly, thus making the Bengals even more potent. If he works out, he can replace Mike Gesicki, who turns 30 later this year.”

Sobleski Proposes Second Deal

Now if you can’t get behind giving up on the young tight end yet, one thing we can all agree on is that the team needs to find a way to move backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, in this scenario the 36-year-old vet stay in the division.

Falcons Get: TE Dawson Knox
Saints Get: QB Kirk Cousins
Bills Get: S Tyrann Mathieu

“For the Falcons, they’re looking at the situation much like the Philadelphia Eagles once did with Donovan McNabb,” Sobleski writes. “Atlanta already benched Cousins last year. He turns 37 later this summer and probably isn’t going to elevate the New Orleans Saints enough to threaten them in the division this year.”

To sell the Knox move, the writer says that he would slide into the current Atlanta offense, allowing for dangerous two tight end sets. Then, when Pitts’ fifth year option has been exercised, Knox would assume the starting role.

Call me crazy, but it sounds like he might not be the biggest Kyle Pitts fan.

Kyle Pitts Has Six Months To Prove Us Wrong

The way I see it, Kyle Pitts has six months to prove he is the NFL tight end. The Falcons already told him exactly how they feel by letting him enter this season without negotiating an extension. At the end of 17 games (barring a playoff run) Pitts will be a free agent.

He entered the league at the age of 20, I don’t think it is wise to give up on him just yet. Athletes like that do not grow on trees. But at some point it is fair to ask the question on whether or not it is even possible for Pitts to reach his full potential in Atlanta.

For some guys a change of scenery is needed to jump start their ascent, Pitts is six months away from a very difficult conversation.