Falcons Penix/Cousins Debacle. What say you?

[Outerlimits]

Huh, I thought he was older than that. You're quite right, then. I still don't think it's a good draft pick, but the age angle is allayed.

It is not a huge factor at the moment, but Penix has suffered four significant injuries already in his late teens/early 20s. The odds seem lower to me that he will be one of the QBs that is successful a decade from now.

 

[Proteus]

I would be rather unhappy with the pick of Penix given Cousins' ridiculous contract if I were a Falcons fan.

 

[PDXChris]

But he has a kangaroo ACL! Why are we not talking about this more?

 

[Gambler]

Cousins will be 36 at the start of this season and 38 at the start of his 3rd season. Does anyone really believe Cousins will start all those games in the first 3 years and Penix will not start games? We will be able to see what Penix has before the option.

 

[Vacard]

Cousins will be benched for Penix by mid-season. They will not sit a “young” on the bench unless they were winning like Alex Smith in KC.

 

[Phrazbit]

I think it is absolutely outrageous. One of the funniest picks in years.

The same team that makes a really questionable, high dollar move on an old free agent with huge injury concerns, signaling they are all in to win now, goes and blows their best asset, reaching for an old college player at the same position and with even worse injury concerns.

The Cousins contract was, IMO, a mistake, but if that is the path they've chosen, they gotta ride it and go all in, instead they take this half measure and a stupid one at that.

Penix has more medical question marks than any college QB I can recall going in the 1st round. And he isn't some developmental guy, he turns 24 in a couple days. You're going to have this guy sit around until he is 26... 27?

You give an older QB a gargantuan contract, then you gotta go all out to build a team around him. You draft a QB in the top 10... then you gotta give that guy a shot soon and take advantage of having a starting QB not taking up one of your big cap slots.

You can't do both.

Laughable.

The Packers sort of did this with Jordan Love. While Love is a good player, it contributed to them wasting Rodgers final few years there. They also are now facing a huge contract decision after Love has only played one season for them. They should have moved Rodgers sooner or not drafted Love. But even then, Rodgers was an established MVP and superbowl winner who was healthy (Cousins is none of those things) and Love was taken in the 20s, not with a top 10 pick.

 

[GatorAZ]

Signing Cousins to that deal coming off a torn Achilles was laughably bad. Penix’ last game was two months before they signed Cousins so they had all the time in the world to fall in love with him. They should’ve signed Minshew and spent that Cousins money to help their young QB. Penix will be a 25 year old rookie.

 

[Fitz4Ever]

Terrible management by the falcons. When you bring in a new QB it has to be EITHER an expensive veteran OR a high first round rookie. You can't do both, because you are wasting a tremendous amount of resources. Cousins in an "all in" move, Penix is a "rebuild" move.

I thought they were under the impression that all their young skill players needed was an experienced, above average QB and that offense would take off. They went and got that...and then wasted what they hope will be the last top 10 pick they have for a while on a backup.

They could have had Odunze, Fashanu, or Turner...all of whom would have been starters.

I do think that Penix would have gone to the Broncos at 12...but that would have made sense, because he would have been the day 1 starter. I can't imagine Payton was really planning to pick Bo Nix at pick #12. It seemed like they were willing to take whatever QB was left.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I say that the Falcons have a good team outside of QB and would have easily won their division with even mediocre QB play. Why not double down in the most important decision in sports?

If Kirk gets hurt game 1 like Aaron Rodgers did, the Falcons would look like geniuses.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Terrible management by the falcons. When you bring in a new QB it has to be EITHER an expensive veteran OR a high first round rookie. You can't do both, because you are wasting a tremendous amount of resources. Cousins in an "all in" move, Penix is a "rebuild" move.

Spending draft capital on the most important position and a position that can play a long time is no waste.

There are issues with the veteran and rookie QB approach, and Atlanta essentially is doing both to get the best result.

I thought they were under the impression that all their young skill players needed was an experienced, above average QB and that offense would take off. They went and got that...and then wasted what they hope will be the last top 10 pick they have for a while on a backup.

Have you seen how much draft capital it takes to move into the top five to get a good QB? I'd say if you expect to be good and not have a shot at a QB, why not get one now?

They could have had Odunze, Fashanu, or Turner...all of whom would have been starters.

Fashanu wouldn't start for them. Atlanta has a pretty darn good OL.

The Falcons already have enough receivers

Turner the could use for sure, but a QB is worth a dozen pass rushers (I'm exaggerating).

I do think that Penix would have gone to the Broncos at 12...but that would have made sense, because he would have been the day 1 starter. I can't imagine Payton was really planning to pick Bo Nix at pick #12. It seemed like they were willing to take whatever QB was left.

Over the past few decades, we've seen a number of QBs who got to sit for a year or two who ended up being extremely successful.

The Falcons can easily move off Cousins in two seasons, which means this year is Cousins year and in 2025 you can start easing Penix into the starting role.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Signing Cousins to that deal coming off a torn Achilles was laughably bad. Penix’ last game was two months before they signed Cousins so they had all the time in the world to fall in love with him. They should’ve signed Minshew and spent that Cousins money to help their young QB. Penix will be a 25 year old rookie.

If they don't sign Cousins the entire situation changes, so we don't know how that would have impacted the draft.

 

[Krangodnzr]

The Packers sort of did this with Jordan Love. While Love is a good player, it contributed to them wasting Rodgers final few years there. They also are now facing a huge contract decision after Love has only played one season for them. They should have moved Rodgers sooner or not drafted Love. But even then, Rodgers was an established MVP and superbowl winner who was healthy (Cousins is none of those things) and Love was taken in the 20s, not with a top 10 pick.

Eh this is a bizarre critique of the Packers masterful approach to the QB position. They've now twice used this strategy and it's worked brilliantly each time.

I think they'll gladly pay Love.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Am I the only one not seeing the fault in Atlanta’s drafting of Penix that so many others plate outraged over?

Yeah if they see him as a potential QB of the Future then why pass that up. Plus you get the luxury to bring Penix along slowly instead of throwing him straight to the wolves. Not to mention that there is a very high likelihood that Cousins gets injured at some point and you will need a quality QB.

 

[CardNots]

I wish the both of these young men success as QBs in the NFL. It will be fun to watch them grow as well as their bumps and bruises.

Welcome to the NFL!

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Plus when you factor in the QB class of next year being poor, it makes sense.