The Falcons offseason is underway, with the first order of business being the search for a new defensive coordinator following the firing of Jimmy Lake. Then comes the much more difficult part: putting together the most competitive roster around a young quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. With limited cap space and draft picks, that will be incredibly difficult to do, which could mean some surprising cuts and trades are on the horizon.
Among the Falcons potential trade candidates has to be 2021 4th overall pick Kyle Pitts. He’s entering the final year of his contract after Atlanta picked up his fifth-year option last offseason, which is set to pay him just south of $11 million in 2025. It’s fully guaranteed, so cutting Pitts is not an option; however, a trade would unburden the Falcons of his entire salary.
That has to be enticing for an organization that is currently close to $8 million over the cap heading into the offseason. Kyle Pitts has probably been the Falcons single biggest disappointment over the last half-decade, which is impressive, given their track record. Since his Pro Bowl campaign as a rookie, he has not eclipsed 670 yards in a single season, and even with the improvement at quarterback play this season, he actually regressed a bit from a statistical standpoint, becoming an afterthought in the offense by the end of the season.
At this point, Kyle Pitts is probably just a sunk cost. Perhaps the Falcons give him one more chance with Michael Penix Jr. under center, but Pitts has played with a multitude of quarterbacks and a couple of different offensive coordinators since his rookie season, and nothing has changed.
That’s not to say there isn’t a place for him in this league. Surely, there will be teams interested in his upside if the Falcons make him available, but he feels more like a luxury than a need, and Atlanta doesn’t have the funds to be paying $11 million for middling tight end play.
It’s an extremely difficult pill to swallow because of his lofty draft status, but good teams know when it’s time to cut their losses and move on. That’s what should happen this offseason with Kyle Pitts.
