Are the Atlanta Falcons Going to Become the Next Kansas City Chiefs?
The Falcons have been one of the more interesting teams this offseason as they have made several decisions and signings that have NFL fans talking. For starters, the Falcons made the shocking decision when they drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round after signing Kirk Cousins to a massive contract. Many fans gave the Falcons flack for this move instead of drafting a defensive player with that selection. However, the Falcons addressed their defensive needs as they went out and traded for Matthew Judon from the Patriots and signed free-agent safety Justin Simmons. This team is now loaded with star power everywhere. Rookie head coach, Raheem Morris, now has the chance to do great things in Atlanta if he coaches this team the right way.
If we look back at the Chiefs in 2017, when they drafted Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs were already a contender with Alex Smith at the helm. This team was loaded with a tremendous wide receiver and tight end combo, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, along with stout defensive players like Eric Berry, Chris Jones, Justin Houston, and Marcus Peters. Instead of getting another great starting piece added to the roster in the draft, the Chiefs opted to trade up and get a quarterback with a lot of raw talent even though they had the capable Alex Smith. After a year of Patrick Mahomes sitting, he finally took control of the franchise and since then, the Chiefs have established a dynasty even with several key players coming and going over the past seven years.
As we look at what the Falcons have done this offseason, they may be following the same blueprint as the Chiefs did to start their dynasty. I think the Falcons should’ve given Kirk Cousins a smaller deal assuming their thought process was to make Penix the future starter. Regardless, they are giving Penix the chance to sit for a year like Mahomes did before the Chiefs dynasty. Luckily for Penix, when he is ready to start in the NFL, he will be surrounded by a very talented offensive roster. The Falcons have one of the best offensive lines in football, a super-talented running back, wide receiver, and tight end who are all young and still developing with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. This defense now has a legitimate edge rusher with Matthew Judon, and the safety pairing of Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates will be the best in the league. In a weak NFC South division, look for the Atlanta Falcons to be a dark horse this season and have sustained success over the next few years led by this young offensive core.
