FLOWEREE BRANCH, Ga. — The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine officially concluded Sunday night after seven full days of travel, medical evaluations, official and informational interviews, on-field training and St. Elmo steaks. As the days went on, I couldn’t help but obsess about something. No, it wasn’t the filet mignon I had at a famous steakhouse.
During the first few days at the combine, Terrin Work and I had the opportunity to speak with several national media outlets and leading draft analysts. The purpose of these conversations was simple. What do these men and women really think about the 2024 Falcons and the decisions they will make going forward?
The conversation ranged from one analyst calling the Falcons the “linchpin” of the entire 2024 NFL Draft to a very interesting conversation about what Zach Robinson’s offense will look like in Atlanta. But you could imagine that each conversation would always come back to the elephant in the room. Yes, the quarterback conversation.
Names were not revealed, of course, but among the media members I spoke to at the combine, there was agreement in almost every conversation. Almost everyone reached a similar conclusion. That is, if they don’t do well enough to land one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class (think: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or even Jaden Daniels); Then you need to do everything you can to bring veterans into your company.
Justin Fields’ name was mentioned as a veteran option, but not as much as Kirk Cousins. If ever there was a leader in the proverbial media clubhouse, it would be Cousins of the Falcons once he hits the open market in free agency.
Now, if the Falcons land a veteran quarterback, does that mean we’re done talking about drafting a quarterback? necessarily. Who’s to say they won’t double-dip in the quarterback market? NFL Network’s Charles Davis floated the idea as a possibility while chatting with us on Radio Row. Citing Patrick Mahomes and Jordan Love as recent examples, he said sitting a year or two behind the veterans wasn’t a terrible development for their development. If that’s the case, someone like JJ McCarthy wouldn’t be a bad idea.