Could the Falcons’ aggressive pursuit of upgrading QB space backfire on their playoff chances?

With OTAs over and training camp still weeks away, there are plenty of questions around the NFL. Charles McDonald is handling them this summer.

After failing at quarterback for a few seasons, the Atlanta Falcons decided enough was enough and made some major investments at the position this offseason. First, they signed free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​to a $100 million guaranteed contract before selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft. The thinking is that the talented players Atlanta has accumulated over the past few years will finally be able to flourish with Cousins ​​at the helm.

If Cousins ​​is healthy, that is should Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts may be the core of a good NFL offense, but it’s certainly fair to wonder if the Falcons have a good team —and if their quest for quarterbacks seriously handicaps their ability to maximize the roster.

Much has been made of the Falcons’ plan to acquire Cousins ​​and Penix in the same offseason. It’s an unusual strategy that hasn’t been used in the NFL, in part because of the assets required to get them both. Cousins’ contract instantly made him the team’s highest-paid player with a $25 million salary cap hit in 2024. If everything goes well with Cousins ​​this season, that means Penix won’t play at all and the Falcons won’t get any value from a top-10 pick this season — a scenario the team is obviously prepared for.

By taking Penix, they couldn’t upgrade other areas of their roster for a potential playoff run, which could really hamper their efforts to win the NFC South this season. The Falcons sacrificed depth (and a potential immediate starter) to set up their quarterback space this way. Atlanta’s defense could have really used an infusion of talent, especially considering they were already a thin unit. Former defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is now in Jacksonville, the pass rush is one of the worst in the league, star defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is coming off a torn ACL, and they’ll be relying heavily on Day 2 and 3 rookies to be impact players early on. They have two All-Pro caliber players in the defensive secondary in Jessie Bates and AJ Terrell, but overall, this team still has a lot of holes.

In some ways, the Falcons are a reflection of their early 2010s teams. Talented on offense with a steady quarterback under center, but not much talent on defense outside of a few players who set the ball rolling for everyone. The Falcons had some success in the early 2010s, making an NFC Championship Game appearance in the 2012 season, but they weren’t able to sustain that success because they were never able to develop their defensive depth. The story is shaping up to be similar.

As they currently stand, the Falcons have the potential to win 10 games (if Cousins ​​is fully recovered from his Achilles injury). They are left with questionable defensive depth, which should make people think twice about their potential for the season.