On March 13, the Atlanta Falcons bagged a whale when the team signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
In the past few seasons, Atlanta has stocked up on great offensive players including Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts.
The only thing missing was a reliable, solid, starting quarterback and Cousins was the answer.
To land the signal-caller, the franchise offered Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million in guarantees, which he gladly accepted.
With the offensive side of the ball taken care of, Atlanta could then focus on their defense in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
So, it was baffling to several draft pundits (as well as Cousins) when the Falcons instead selected Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with their eighth overall pick.
While some talking heads like the pick, several more media members believe the Dirty Birds have lost their minds.
Nick Wright of “First Things First” on FS1 thinks Atlanta is not trying to win a championship.
“The Falcons are not trying to win the Super Bowl. They are trying to avoid being awful,” said Wright.
“The Falcons are not trying to win the Super Bowl. They are trying to avoid being awful.”
— @getnickwright reacts to Atlanta drafting Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall: pic.twitter.com/IntxUru8Ep
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 26, 2024
Wright explained that he had the Falcons taking a defensive player at No. 8 in every one of his mock drafts.
As part of his diatribe about the selection, Wright said it was a contradiction for Atlanta to be the biggest spenders in free agency for a quarterback while also taking the biggest leap in the draft.
NEXT:
Michael Penix Jr. Reveals If He’s Heard From Kirk Cousins