NFL Notes —
It’s been a while since we’ve had an ATNFL column, but with the NFL Draft in the books, I figured we would hammer one out today and maybe try to get back into a regular offseason schedule and volume next week. Let’s start in Atlanta, where the Falcons have to decide their plans after signing Kirk Cousins to a massive free-agent contract and then doubling down on the position by selecting Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 last week.
What are the Falcons plans for under center for this season and beyond?
The Falcons have faced ongoing criticism for drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. shortly after acquiring Kirk Cousins in free agency. Assistant General Manager Kyle Smith reaffirmed on Tuesday that Atlanta aimed to establish lasting stability at the quarterback position, a priority for the team’s front office since Smith joined alongside General Manager Terry Fontenot in 2021.
“It was an unsettling feeling, sitting there in ’21,” Smith said, . “I’ll never𝓀 forget sitting there with Terry and being like, ‘OK, well, what’s our future? What’s our plan for the future? How are we going to solidify down the road?’
“It’s notꦫ just about this year or next year.🔴 It’s about five years, minimum.”
While Atlanta seems to view Penix as a true succession plan for Cousins, the move still doesn’t make much sense financially. Penix will turn 24 this month. Cousins signed a four-year deal with Atlanta. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said recently that he would be OK with Penix watching Cousins from the sideline for the duration of Cousins’ contract. Raheem Morris said the same.
“Nothing would make 𝄹me feel better than watching Kirk Cousins play the next four years,” ♉Morris said. “That means there are some good things going on.”
But, if that’s how this plays out, Atlanta will have burned 80 percent of Penix’s rookie deal before he becomes the successor to Cousins. At this point, by the way, he would be turning 28. It might work out for the Falcons, but this is just a very strange scenario, especially when you consider the team ruffled the feathers of Kirk Cousins by not informing him of the plan until draft night.💞
“Obv🐲iously, it put a little damper on the mood (Thursday) night, but that’s the nature of oꦯur beast, the nature of our business, the competitive stuff,” Morris said. “But I’m fired up about all of my quarterbacks.”
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he turned down a $10 billion purchase offer
According to , Dolphins owner ♔Stephen Ross recently turned down a $10 billion offer for the team. The offer would have also included Hard Rock Stadium and the F1 Miami race. Ross declined the offer because he intends to retain ownership within his family. ESPN that the Dolphins are not currently on the market for sale.
Previously, Ross had been in discussions to sell minority stakes in both the Dolphins and the F1 race to hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin, with a combined valuation exceeding $7 billion. Ross assumed control of the Dolphins in 2009, with Bruce Beal initially considered his successor. However, following the 2022 tampering controversy, Ross designated his daughter, Jennifer, as his successor in the league’s annual designation process.
Davante Adams says he doesn’t regret forcing his way to Vegas but says Jordan Love is awesome
Davante Adams recently appeared on his teammate Maxx Crosby’s podcast, The Rush. He gushed about Packers quarterback Jordan Love and even sounded like he might be a little envious of the current situation of the Green Bay wide receivers.
“In hindsight, like we talked about, the kid is a fucking baller, man. I’m ,” Adams said. “I haven’t had the chance to truly sit down and talk with him, but I want to tell him at some point, ‘I definitely don’t regret changing, but I’m super proud of what you’ve done. If there was a way I could pull you over here and drag you with me, that would have been cool, too.’ Because, obviously, we saw what he did at the end of the year. I don’t regret what I did, but, at the same t🦩ime, it’s definitely you look back on it like, ‘damn, that boy kind of balling right now.’”
Adams says that he doesn’t regret the move. But with no plan under center other than veteran stop-gap Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, Adams has to be feeling a little bit of seller’s remorse. In two seasons in Vegas, Adams has seen Derek Carr get benched and then cut after the veteran wide receiver chose the Raiders so that he could reunite with his college quarterback. He then watched them bring in an aging and ineffective Jimmy Garoppolo as Carr’s replacement last offseason. Garoppolo suffered a similar fate as Carr. All of that leads to this most recent offseason with the Raiders opting to bring Minshew into the fold after Aidan O’Connell started most of the 2023 season.
