The Atlanta Falcons made a stunning variety taking former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the Deny. 8 select within the 2024 NFL Draft.
Amongst the ones stunned by means of the choice used to be their wave projected inauguration quarterback, Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons referred to as Cousins after they had been at the clock to let him know they had been taking Penix, his agent, Mike McCartney, instructed The Athletic. When Cousins signed with the staff this offseason, the Falcons instructed him they might be drafting a quarterback within the nearest rounds of this draft. He used to be surprised after they took one within the first spherical, and Cousins’ largest fear is that the select doesn’t support the staff for the next season.
A part of the explanation Atlanta decided on Penix is that it believes it gained’t have a supremacy select in coming drafts with Cousins below heart the later few years, a staff supply instructed The Athletic.
The Falcons signed Cousins this offseason to a four-year do business in virtue $180 million, together with $100 million assured. The 35-year-old quarterback is getting better from the torn Achilles tendon he sustained in Age 8 closing season. Cousins stated at his introductory information convention in March that he may just pull drops and assemble passes, but when added, “I think the minute I would have to leave the pocket is where you’d say, ‘Yeah, he’s still recovering from an Achilles.’”
Critiques various on Penix
I didn’t suppose the Falcons would usefulness the 8th select for Penix, that’s evidently, however I do suppose Penix used to be a in reality attention-grabbing chance on this draft.
Two former head coaches with robust observe information had been some of the community I spoke with all the way through the draft procedure who had Penix as their Deny. 2 quarterback on this draft, in the back of Caleb Williams. It gave the impression of only a few community affirmative with this evaluation.
My really feel all the way through Tremendous Bowl occasion used to be that Penix could be long past by means of the center of the primary spherical, however the contemporary chatter environment him made me really feel like that used to be a stretch. With quarterbacks, there can also be stunning volatility. If a staff loves one, the staff will have to pull him. And when groups really feel i’m ready on the place already, they only don’t choose them lots of the era. This is how anyone like Penix can journey previous than anticipated era an Aaron Rodgers waits longer than anticipated. — Mike Sando, Nationwide NFL essayist
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(Picture: Jorge Lemus / NurPhoto by means of Getty Photographs)