2 weeks ago
Of each nan teams wrong nan top-15 of nan NFL Draft order, nan Atlanta Falcons were surely 1 that not galore group were predicting would prime a quarterback.
Well, they shocked conscionable astir everybody erstwhile they selected Michael Penix Jr. retired of Washington pinch nan eighth wide pick.
Of course, nan Falcons entered nan offseason pinch a spread astatine quarterback, but they gave Kirk Cousins a four-year woody pinch $180 cardinal – $100 cardinal of that is guaranteed, but each successful nan first 2 years.
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Atlanta's first-round pick, backmost Michael Penix Jr., talks to nan media astatine a property convention introducing him astatine nan Falcons training complex. (Dale Zanine-USA Today Sports)
So, while nan Falcons person been criticized for nan move, Super Bowl victor Trent Dilfer is connected nan wholly different side.
Penix will, of course, beryllium backing up Cousins for a agelong while, but Dilfer is seeing a Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers-Jordan Love plan.
"[Cousins] is going to play arsenic bully of shot he tin play for arsenic agelong arsenic his assemblage allows him to play. And while he does that, you will not find a amended quality to thief Michael Penix turn arsenic a person, arsenic a player. Every clip nan Packers did this, each clip group said this was stupid… I deliberation it's 1 of nan champion models successful each of football," Dilfer told OutKick's "Hot Mic" earlier this week.
"The Falcons are looking three, four, five, six, 7 years down nan statement here, they're looking to go Super Bowl contenders for a decade, not conscionable alteration their franchise now. And because of that, I deliberation it was a really bully pick."
Washington Huskies backmost Michael Penix Jr. throws an interception during nan CFP National Championship crippled against nan Michigan Wolverines connected Jan. 8, 2024, astatine NRG Stadium successful Houston, Texas. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Dilfer sees parts of Penix's crippled that request improvement, and Cousins is nan 1 to thief Penix turn into a much mature quarterback, he says.
"I deliberation Michael is simply a feline that is wildly talented, wildly successful, but does not play nan crippled pinch a precocious level of discipline. He doesn't play it pinch a structure, he's much of a gunslinger, and Kirk Cousins plays nan crippled pinch an exactness to his game. And he's gonna watch Kirk play astatine a very precocious level for Atlanta and study nan tricks of nan trade, nan nuances of nan position… My profession would person been wholly different if I would've sat location and played pinch an master successful his trade and study each nan tricks of nan waste and acquisition from personification for illustration that. I'm astir apt an outlier here, but I deliberation it was a superb pick."
The Athletic reported that Cousins "understood" that a backmost would beryllium considered, but he did not judge his imaginable successor would beryllium taken successful nan first information – thus, nan Penix action near him "stunned."
It is ironic that nan Falcons took Penix arsenic Cousins recovers from his ain superior wounded (a torn Achilles). Penix has torn his correct ACL twice, erstwhile successful 2018 and again successful 2020 pinch Indiana, and he had a clavicle fracture successful 2019 and an A/C associated separation successful 2021.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. holds an Atlanta Falcons jersey during a news convention Friday, April 26, 2024, successful Flowery Branch, Georgia. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
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Last season, Washington's reign complete nan Pac-12 continued. Penix threw for 4,903 yards pinch 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His efforts pinch a high-octane discourtesy led to a nationalist title appearance, though Michigan defeated Washington.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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