The Atlanta Falcons saw one of the best players in franchise history depart this offseason when they traded wide receiver, Julio Jones, to the Tennessee Titans. Another one of their cornerstones, Matt Ryan, could be on the move soon too. Could making a move to trade for Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock make sense?
With Terry Fontenot taking over as general manager earlier this year and Arthur Smith taking over as head coach, the roster will see major changes in the coming years. They will want to shape the team in their vision, meaning there will be a lot of overhauling done.
The quarterback position will be the one that many people have their eyes on. Ryan, who is now 36 years old, has been the team’s starting quarterback since 2008. That year they selected him third overall and haven’t looked back.
Ryan has an impressive resume as the Falcons have almost always had a good offense. He has four Pro Bowl appearances, one All-Pro nomination and won the MVP award in 2016. The Boston College product has been great for Atlanta, but they have to start preparing for life after Ryan at the quarterback position.
Fontenot and Smith could look to bring their own quarterback in sooner than later. One player that could be of some interest to them is Lock.
Lock lost the quarterback battle with Teddy Bridgewater this offseason. As a result, the Denver Broncos could look to move on from their second-round pick in 2019.
Coming out of Missouri, Lock had all the tools to be a successful quarterback at the next level. He had good size, a big arm and some athleticism to boot. He showed some great promise as a rookie, going 4-1. But, in 2020, he was unable to replicate the same success.
His numbers dipped across the board as he went 4-9 on the season. His completion percentage dropped to 57.3 from 64.1 as a rookie. He led the league with 15 interceptions and threw only 16 touchdowns.
Why would the Falcons even consider a trade for Lock? There are a few reasons, starting with the potential that he has.
Every coach in the NFL believes they can turn around a gifted player, and Smith assuredly believes that. Look at what he did with Ryan Tannehill during his time as the Titan’s offensive coordinator.
The Falcons are eventually going to have to find a successor for Ryan, so maybe Lock will show enough promise to get a shot under Smith in Atlanta. Also, the Falcons lost backup quarterback A.J. McCarron to an injury in the preseason.
The team signed Josh Rosen, but if they do not like what they see from him, they will need another veteran. Undrafted rookie free agent, Feleipe Franks is the only quarterback on the roster.
Drew Lock is someone worth keeping an eye on for the Falcons if the need for a quarterback arises during the season.
