NFL insiders continue to link the Falcons to QBs in draft

The Falcons are going to add to the quarterback room this offseason. There’s no doubt about that, but where questions begin is how they acquire that signal caller.

Will it be in free agency or the draft? If it’s the latter, will it be a Day 2 or Day 3 pick? Hell, could the Falcons shock the world and use their top draft pick on an heir apparent to Kirk Cousins before he ever takes a snap for the team?

That’s where the arguments begin. A handful of insiders, including some of the most well-respected names in the game, have linked the Falcons to Michael Penix, and we can add another heavy hitter to the list.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that the Falcons and Rams are “curveball quarterback teams,” adding that Atlanta worked out Penix in Seattle and had a planned visit with J.J. McCarthy before canceling.

“Sitting there at No. 8, either of those two could fall right in the laps of general manager Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris, with Kirk Cousins giving them the flexibility to sit the new guy for two to three years on a Jordan Love-like plan.”

Adam Schefter also linked Penix to Atlanta.

“This particular general manager said he believes both Penix Jr. and Nix are Day 2 picks. Some teams disagree, and there now is speculation Penix could go as high as No. 8 to the Falcons,” Schefter said.

Jeremy Fowler chimed in after Schefter and before Breer over the weekend on SportsCenter, describing the Falcons as a landing spot.

“Well, the Falcons are certainly a candidate to get a passer at some point in the draft… They spent some time with Michael Penix Jr. This is interesting. When they went to visit him in Seattle for a private workout in early April, the whole contingent went, the head coach Raheem Morris, Fontenot, they flew all the way to Seattle just to watch him throw for a few hours and turned around and went home…” Fowler said. “That told me something as far as interest.”

The ESPN pundit doubled down on Wednesday too, reporting that the Falcons like Penix… “a lot.”

“Multiple people have told me this week that they believe the Falcons like Penix a lot,” Fowler said.

Vegas doesn’t see a Falcons and Michael Penix pairing as likely. Oddsmakers put the chances of the Washington product being the 8th pick at +3500 and Atlanta drafting him at any point at +1500.

There’s no arguing that Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris need to have a succession plan in place, especially for a 35-year-old quarterback. There’s no telling when his arm could deteriorate, but much of this seems like more smoke than fire.