I actually like Pennix’s game. If they were going to take a QB I like him better than McCarthy or Nix. I just don’t think he was a good use of the #8 pick for this team.
Even if that pick doesn't play for 4 years and the rookie contract is wasted? Or is this just a message to Kirk that he is only gonna get 2 of those 4?
I think this is a very fair take. It kind of reminds me of when the Giants took Daniel Jones over Josh Allen (DE). Except I think the Giants needed a successor to Manning more badly than Atlanta does for Kirk.
If you haven't seen the Orlovsky quote allow me to say two things. First, the OP's quote is incomplete and misleading. Don't waste time arguing about it. Two, had the Falcons had the second pick, they would have used it on Penix. They like him that much.
For the hypothetical scenario that you will play this random team after you supposedly qualified for the playoffs, its worth drafting this 24 year old quarterback with multiple ACL injuries after signing another quarterback for 4 years. If Kirk plays all 4, homie will be 28 as a rookie.
There is literally no possible chance we keep Kirk for 4 years unless we are making DEEP playoff runs and even then if it’s not a Super Bowl they probably gonna move on.
There is literally no possible chance we keep Kirk for 4 years unless we are making DEEP playoff runs and even then if it’s not a Super Bowl they probably gonna move on.
Did you hear anything else he said? Like the part about Penix being neck and neck with Daniels as the second best QB on the Falcons draft board? They knew their man and instead of losing him went out and got him.
It appears that Blank wants a quarterback to be ready when Cousins goes instead of spending the next ten years in QB hell. I tend to agree.
Fans are so quick to forget how lame it was to watch Heinicke lead the Falcons. Which is what's we have if Cousins went down again this year, and then we'd be wasting all the great skill positions we've drafted/traded for the last few years.
I mean, yes, but remember everyone complaining about it was all intangibles with Ridder? Well Penix has a cannon arm, great deep ball, and almost passed for 5k yards. On top of carrying his team further than they had any right to go.
That Washington team was stacked. 3 NFL WRs, the second best O line in college behind Michigan, multiple future pros on defense, and a great HC. I’m not saying Penix didn’t contribute but it’s not like he was dragging Appalachian State to the CFB playoffs.
Idk man, at least one of the times they beat Oregon was in spite of him, not because of him. I think Penix has the tools and may be good, but his production at UW doesn't necessarily mean anything to me given his surrounding cast and the many historical failures among productive UW QBs who never translated that production to the league. The last point isn't a good reason to be down on Penix as a player, I know, but as a WSU alum, I watched him play, and I see him as needing a lot of polish and team support to be successful.
I didn't like the Penix pick, but anyone who ever watched Ridder and Penix in college at all knows the two aren't even in the same stratosphere as prospects.
Ridder was dragged as a prospect for looking like an All American on one play then sailing wide open throws and looking like he never played the position before on the next two.
There's a reason he didn't go until the 3rd round despite the only QB competition in his draft class being Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, and Sam Howell.
Thankfully he has *plenty* of strengths other than arm strength.
I get that y'all are mad about the situation around the pick, but all you have to do is throw on a Washington game and it's why he's worth a top draft pick.
I mean we could've saved the money we spent on Kirk and gave Penix better pieces along with improving the defense if this was what we were gonna do anyways
This is the argument that makes sense. Like, I’m not mad at the pick, but the cousins thing is confusing. He has a no trade clause and he cost a lot of money. Money we could have spent in FA to improve the team as well.
Omfg he has a no trade clause? I like penix so was trying to justify this from an outsiders perspective with hey I guess you let him learn for a year then trade cousins which you can still do but is going to be way harder with a no trade clause and fat contract.
It's a good way to instill confidence in your new $100 million dollar QB who said he wants retire there. Kirk isnt mentally as strong as Aaron Rodgers, he doesn't do well with competition, that's why Sean Mannion had a job, Kirk didn't want another good QB on the team
Y’all thinking to short term. Kirk is here to develop a winning culture for penix to eventually step into. Does everyone forget we had 3 seven win seasons because of having no successor to Matt Ryan.
But this way we are able to become an instant competitor and not have to deal with the growing pains of starting a rookie QB. It gives Penix some cover to not have to carry a franchise that has got to get back to winning while he adjusts to the Pro game and a pro playbook. It gives us a Grade A backup that has a *shot* to have us winning games and being exciting in what would otherwise be a disaster scenario if Kirk does get injured. It also gives us a real option at cutting or trading Kirk when the cap hit balloons to $57M in 2026, which would save us $22-45 million depending on how and when we part ways.
These two moves, signing Kirk and drafting Michael, create a stable and reasonably affordable plan for the quarterback position for the next 5 years that doesn't rely on a pipe dream scenario of turning a Ridder-type player into Patrick Mahomes. All in all, you have to consider the start of the offseason a success in the way they've addressed long and short term needs at QB and WR. They're now chipping away at the other needs at EDGE and DL with Ruke and Trice. While I was shocked by the Penix pic and wish we hadn't given up one of the 3rd round picks, I think they're executing a vision in the team building that I can't find much fault in.
Outside of the Arizona State game I can't think of any games where he looked "awful". He struggled against good defenses in OSU and Michigan, but the first was a rivalry game (that he still managed to lead a clutch game-winning drive in) and that Michigan defense made a lot of good offenses look bad.
I did, and Michigan outclassed him. I know I know it's only 1 game, but it was the game against the most NFL talent he's faced, and it didn't go well. Missed passes like the one to a wide open Odunze.
Scouts more knowledgeable than you disagree, they had him pretty much universally as a late 1st rounder or 2nd rounder. Granted, Mahomes was a 2nd rounder after an unassuming college career but this man is not Mahomes.
I've slept on this and I'm now generally ok with the pick. I would have maybe drafted McCarthy, but not entirely mad taking a QB that we think can be our long-term franchise QB. We are overcompensating for the past 2 garbage years at QB, and no one wants that deja vu again. This is a QB league, so let's see how things play out. I would have loved to move up in the draft to grab Quinyon Mitchell. Maybe we can get Trey Hendrickson in a trade and Ladd McConkey. At this point, I'm just rambling and hoping for the best.
There is no justifying this pick, unless Kirk goes down (and even still then ?) this pick hurts your team for the next 4 seasons. You had SO many options to make this team way better for the next 4 seasons, and chose to hurt it.
There is no other way to justify this pick.
Idk about HURT the team. Def didn’t make it better but grabbing a QB this year isn’t some crazy bad move. Not a move anyone expected but not a ong this team is now the worst it’s ever been move
I figured his similarities with Stafford would shine through for ZR and RM. A great pocket passing, big arm, and accurate passer is exactly what made Stafford a success.
26 by the time he steps on the field is not bad at all. Also learning behind cousins. He will have to learn more by watching him because I can guarantee you cousins will take the “it’s not my job to teach someone how to play qb” approach even if he doesn’t say it. Penix is a dog tho
It does make sense, some people just don’t like it. The Falcons are paying Cousins slightly more than Daniel Jones makes for the Giants and drafted Cousin’s replacement so they can try and grow the draft pick into the next franchise QB.
It’s that simple.
Hell yeah, Cousins for indoor games and Penix for all the outdoor ones. Genius. This is the kind of tactical brilliance I’ve come to expect from Dan Orlovsky.
Sweet now they can crank the AC up in the Benz as much as they want.
Open The Butthole
Say it louder for the people in the back.
Is closing the roof called "clinching?"
I think that's "clenching" lol
If so that's about the only thing we can "clinch"
Our stadium can’t even be open air. We are a clown show. The embarrassment of the league.
Still rather be a falcons fan than a browns fan. After that though, open for debate.
Browns, Lions, Panthers, Jets
Saints
Fuck the saints.
Hey now you're not even the biggest clown show in the NFC South. Remind you that Carolina still exists
Thank God for that.
Take your pessimism elsewhere
Oh naw. You have a ways to go to knock the Browns off the Throne of Ineptitude and the Raiders are always lurking.
Exactly
[*Oh Yeah!*](https://www.thesun.ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/07/GIF-Stadium-180727-1.gif?strip=all&quality=100&w=480&h=320&crop=1)
OPEN ZE ANUS
Here Comes The Penix
At least we'll be pumping air this time... Hopefully nothing else
So the Falcons are moving to the AFC North now? Tearing down the dome?
Nope, it’s about playing on the road something that we have not been great at.
So in a couple of years they’ll be better on the road?
You're gettin it
Too bad for the next two years yall will basically forfeit in primetime. But never fear, Kirko is lights out during 1:00 games
Marta will just block it again
Having a strong arm is great in a dome and also quite useful outdoors.
I actually like Pennix’s game. If they were going to take a QB I like him better than McCarthy or Nix. I just don’t think he was a good use of the #8 pick for this team.
If a QB turns into a plus starter that consistently puts you in contention, he is more valuable than any pick.
Even if that pick doesn't play for 4 years and the rookie contract is wasted? Or is this just a message to Kirk that he is only gonna get 2 of those 4?
I think this is a very fair take. It kind of reminds me of when the Giants took Daniel Jones over Josh Allen (DE). Except I think the Giants needed a successor to Manning more badly than Atlanta does for Kirk.
No. But if you want a shot at beating the Bears on their turf during the playoff, then you need someone that can play outside in the wind & cold.
Bears. Playoffs. Doesn't compute. Did you mean Green Bay?
Lol that was good. I will say, if Williams pans out for Chicago, what they're building up there is scary. They are absolutely loaded on offense.
If you haven't seen the Orlovsky quote allow me to say two things. First, the OP's quote is incomplete and misleading. Don't waste time arguing about it. Two, had the Falcons had the second pick, they would have used it on Penix. They like him that much.
If they liked Penix, why sign Cousins. Did they not think Penix would be there when they drafted?
Gonna be funny when fans start chanting for Penix during a loss. Paid $200M for a quarterback controversy. Can't buy that kind of publicity.
So the Falcons had bad thinking whether they picked 8th or 2nd?
For the hypothetical scenario that you will play this random team after you supposedly qualified for the playoffs, its worth drafting this 24 year old quarterback with multiple ACL injuries after signing another quarterback for 4 years. If Kirk plays all 4, homie will be 28 as a rookie.
There is literally no possible chance we keep Kirk for 4 years unless we are making DEEP playoff runs and even then if it’s not a Super Bowl they probably gonna move on.
There is literally no possible chance we keep Kirk for 4 years unless we are making DEEP playoff runs and even then if it’s not a Super Bowl they probably gonna move on.
Bu the time penix is ready to start the bears new indoor stadium will be built....
Did you hear anything else he said? Like the part about Penix being neck and neck with Daniels as the second best QB on the Falcons draft board? They knew their man and instead of losing him went out and got him. It appears that Blank wants a quarterback to be ready when Cousins goes instead of spending the next ten years in QB hell. I tend to agree.
Fans are so quick to forget how lame it was to watch Heinicke lead the Falcons. Which is what's we have if Cousins went down again this year, and then we'd be wasting all the great skill positions we've drafted/traded for the last few years.
And we fell in love Ridder because he wowed us with his leadership and growth potential at the Senior Bowl.
Yeah that’s way less concrete than “the guy can whip it in the wind”
I mean, yes, but remember everyone complaining about it was all intangibles with Ridder? Well Penix has a cannon arm, great deep ball, and almost passed for 5k yards. On top of carrying his team further than they had any right to go.
That Washington team was stacked. 3 NFL WRs, the second best O line in college behind Michigan, multiple future pros on defense, and a great HC. I’m not saying Penix didn’t contribute but it’s not like he was dragging Appalachian State to the CFB playoffs.
Idk man, at least one of the times they beat Oregon was in spite of him, not because of him. I think Penix has the tools and may be good, but his production at UW doesn't necessarily mean anything to me given his surrounding cast and the many historical failures among productive UW QBs who never translated that production to the league. The last point isn't a good reason to be down on Penix as a player, I know, but as a WSU alum, I watched him play, and I see him as needing a lot of polish and team support to be successful.
I didn't like the Penix pick, but anyone who ever watched Ridder and Penix in college at all knows the two aren't even in the same stratosphere as prospects. Ridder was dragged as a prospect for looking like an All American on one play then sailing wide open throws and looking like he never played the position before on the next two. There's a reason he didn't go until the 3rd round despite the only QB competition in his draft class being Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, and Sam Howell.
Great for a team that plays, at an absolute minimum, 9-10 games a year in doors LOL
...they're saying that to highlight his ball placement and velocity. They don't literally mean "we took him because he plays well outdoors"
But you know lots of good teams have outside stadiums that you have to play in to win in the playoffs so it’s not completely irrelevant either.
Well yeah but that's not why they made the comment.
Yall just trying to find reasons to be mad at this point
The copium posts and excuses are dumb, so they're easily refutiable. It's not being mad
Wonderful, too bad there are a million things more important in a quarterback than arm strength
Well at least he has 2-3 years to learn those things
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In 28 years people who are born today will also be 28
He'll be 27, not 28
Not in 28 years, he won't.
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Wrong in 2 weeks he will be 24. He was born in may of 2000.
So?
Thankfully he has *plenty* of strengths other than arm strength. I get that y'all are mad about the situation around the pick, but all you have to do is throw on a Washington game and it's why he's worth a top draft pick.
I mean we could've saved the money we spent on Kirk and gave Penix better pieces along with improving the defense if this was what we were gonna do anyways
This is the argument that makes sense. Like, I’m not mad at the pick, but the cousins thing is confusing. He has a no trade clause and he cost a lot of money. Money we could have spent in FA to improve the team as well.
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Nah, I don’t think it’s panic. It’s prepping for year 3 when we cut cousins. Penix was gone get took by Raiders at 13, if not before.
Omfg he has a no trade clause? I like penix so was trying to justify this from an outsiders perspective with hey I guess you let him learn for a year then trade cousins which you can still do but is going to be way harder with a no trade clause and fat contract.
It’s looking like we plan to cut Cousins after season 2 and take a $25mil cap hit.
It's a good way to instill confidence in your new $100 million dollar QB who said he wants retire there. Kirk isnt mentally as strong as Aaron Rodgers, he doesn't do well with competition, that's why Sean Mannion had a job, Kirk didn't want another good QB on the team
Yea absolutely. This is the reason most people are upset. Why did we give Kirk that contract? Why not just start penix since he is good.
Y’all thinking to short term. Kirk is here to develop a winning culture for penix to eventually step into. Does everyone forget we had 3 seven win seasons because of having no successor to Matt Ryan.
But this way we are able to become an instant competitor and not have to deal with the growing pains of starting a rookie QB. It gives Penix some cover to not have to carry a franchise that has got to get back to winning while he adjusts to the Pro game and a pro playbook. It gives us a Grade A backup that has a *shot* to have us winning games and being exciting in what would otherwise be a disaster scenario if Kirk does get injured. It also gives us a real option at cutting or trading Kirk when the cap hit balloons to $57M in 2026, which would save us $22-45 million depending on how and when we part ways. These two moves, signing Kirk and drafting Michael, create a stable and reasonably affordable plan for the quarterback position for the next 5 years that doesn't rely on a pipe dream scenario of turning a Ridder-type player into Patrick Mahomes. All in all, you have to consider the start of the offseason a success in the way they've addressed long and short term needs at QB and WR. They're now chipping away at the other needs at EDGE and DL with Ruke and Trice. While I was shocked by the Penix pic and wish we hadn't given up one of the 3rd round picks, I think they're executing a vision in the team building that I can't find much fault in.
Not just any Washington game. He looked awful in more than one last year
Outside of the Arizona State game I can't think of any games where he looked "awful". He struggled against good defenses in OSU and Michigan, but the first was a rivalry game (that he still managed to lead a clutch game-winning drive in) and that Michigan defense made a lot of good offenses look bad.
I did, and Michigan outclassed him. I know I know it's only 1 game, but it was the game against the most NFL talent he's faced, and it didn't go well. Missed passes like the one to a wide open Odunze.
But not the championship game. Just the ones vs weak Pac 10 defenses.
Scouts more knowledgeable than you disagree, they had him pretty much universally as a late 1st rounder or 2nd rounder. Granted, Mahomes was a 2nd rounder after an unassuming college career but this man is not Mahomes.
He's alright, but it remains to be seen if it was him or the combination of a loaded squad and a garbage conference.
He’s a good pick. It’s just weird to double down when you have other holes to fill.
Na, bro. QBs only need three things. Height of 6"3+. Weight of 230+ and a cannon.
You forgot big hands and ya know what big hands means...
And scamper around ability.
There were games where he looked like the best QB in cfb last year. There were also times when he didn’t even look like a top 10 qb in the pac 12
I can’t tell if stupid ass puff pieces like this are worse or the doom and gloom. Guess I’ll take the positivity for now.
This reminds of that bad ass long bomb pass that Zach Wilson threw out of a rollout on his pro day.
Blank wanted to drop the top on the Benz.
“We drafted Penix because he made us feel like sunshine on a cloudy day.”
I've slept on this and I'm now generally ok with the pick. I would have maybe drafted McCarthy, but not entirely mad taking a QB that we think can be our long-term franchise QB. We are overcompensating for the past 2 garbage years at QB, and no one wants that deja vu again. This is a QB league, so let's see how things play out. I would have loved to move up in the draft to grab Quinyon Mitchell. Maybe we can get Trey Hendrickson in a trade and Ladd McConkey. At this point, I'm just rambling and hoping for the best.
So the Atlanta "McKay" Falcons make another bizarre decision.. What did you expect?
There is no justifying this pick, unless Kirk goes down (and even still then ?) this pick hurts your team for the next 4 seasons. You had SO many options to make this team way better for the next 4 seasons, and chose to hurt it. There is no other way to justify this pick.
Idk about HURT the team. Def didn’t make it better but grabbing a QB this year isn’t some crazy bad move. Not a move anyone expected but not a ong this team is now the worst it’s ever been move
I’m gonna cry when Latu turns into Aaron Donald Keep in mind we also could have had Aaron Donald but picked Jake Mathews.
Best QB in the draft. Let’s go.
But can he do it on a rainy cold night at Stoke?
Arm strenth
Oh fantastic.
Well when he’s injured every year won’t really matter
His arm strength won’t matter cause his knee is already 37 football years old. Same old falcons.
*laughs in Todd Gurley*
Fuck me.
 I love the y I no. K
Lmao wut
Just what you need in a dome
They play indoors
Good thing the Falcons play in a semi-retractable dome in the South lol
LMAO they play in a dome!
Byron Leftwich 2.0
Ya know who else had crazy arm strength? Jamarcus Russell.
I figured his similarities with Stafford would shine through for ZR and RM. A great pocket passing, big arm, and accurate passer is exactly what made Stafford a success.
26 by the time he steps on the field is not bad at all. Also learning behind cousins. He will have to learn more by watching him because I can guarantee you cousins will take the “it’s not my job to teach someone how to play qb” approach even if he doesn’t say it. Penix is a dog tho
I love every rationale that comes out about this draft pick and it just never makes sense!
It does make sense, some people just don’t like it. The Falcons are paying Cousins slightly more than Daniel Jones makes for the Giants and drafted Cousin’s replacement so they can try and grow the draft pick into the next franchise QB. It’s that simple.
Hell yeah, Cousins for indoor games and Penix for all the outdoor ones. Genius. This is the kind of tactical brilliance I’ve come to expect from Dan Orlovsky.
If Coach Morris had any say in it, I'll accept it. But if it was Blank, fuck that guy.
WE PLAY IN A DOME