The Atlanta Falcons’ offense has the potential to be a very explosive unit. Quarterback Desmond Ridder recently made a bold comment predicting as much and it is easy to see why there is so much optimism.
The Falcons have used their first-round pick on a skill position player for the last three years. In 2021 it was tight end Kyle Pitts who was selected. Last year it was wide receiver Drake London and this year it was running back Bijan Robinson. Running backs Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson are also going to chip in. When you mix in a solid offensive line, the pieces of the puzzle are in place.
That puts some pressure on Ridder to perform in Year 2 as he has some very good weapons around him. It will be up to head coach Arthur Smith to also game plan well, but at the end of the day, the execution falls on the plays and Ridder is the leader of this offense, for now.
While those are excellent foundational pieces, the Falcons’ offense could still use a little more juice. The team did sign Mack Hollins in free agency, who should help take pressure off of London after a career year in 2022 with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hollins is a good addition, but the team did lose the second and third most productive wide receivers from last season in free agency. Olamide Zaccheaus and Damiere Byrd both departed, signing with the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers.
Speaking of the Eagles, that is where the Falcons could find some wide receiver help. Atlanta should make a call to Howie Roseman and gauge the availability of Quez Watkins. According to Bo Wulf of The Athletic, Philadelphia is certainly open to making a deal for the former sixth-round pick.
What could a trade between the Falcons and Eagles look like? A suggested trade could be Atlanta sending a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to Philadelphia in exchange for the speedster Watkins.
The Eagles would recoup some valuable draft capital in exchange for a player that doesn’t seem to be in their long-term plans any longer. He saw his role scaled back drastically with the addition of A.J. Brown and with Zaccheaus now in the mix it could shrink even more.
A fresh start could be best for Watkins and he would receive that with the Falcons. There is a chance he could slot into the No. 3 role in their offense, where his speed would come in handy. Atlanta wants to run the ball as much as possible, so having a player who needs to be accounted for as a deep threat would help open things up.
While there may not be as many passing attempts by the Falcons as the Eagles this season, having a larger role in the offense is something Watkins would benefit from. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, he would be afforded the chance to get on the field move, improving his value and potentially earning more money on a second contract.
