Last year, the Atlanta Falcons had the most active trade deadline in franchise history, completing three transactions on the last day… but don’t expect it to happen this year. The Falcons, according to The Athletic, “appear to be standing pat based on multiple conversations around the league.”
The Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, and Houston Texans are also in the same situation. Atlanta is 4-3 entering Week 8 and presently leads the NFC South over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints, both of whom have three wins.
At the end of last season, Atlanta was 4-4 and the division leader. Terry Fontenot, the team’s general manager, traded receiver Calvin Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars and safety Dean Marlowe to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for cornerback Rashad Fenton from the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the Falcons’ roster being more well-rounded this time, it appears that next Tuesday, which is also Halloween, will not include many tricks or treats from Fontenot and his crew. Before that, Atlanta has a crucial road game against the Tennessee Titans coming Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are being investigated by the NFL for failing to disclose running back Bijan Robinson’s headache prior to last week’s victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Robinson had only 11 snaps and one carry. Atlanta was aware of its rookie phenom’s illness but did not report it prior to the game, which is against league policy.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith stated that everything is transparent in 2023 and that he had not considered the league’s probe – but according to The Athletic, Atlanta may be fined after the process is completed. “If (the NFL) discovers the Falcons violated a league rule, they’ll most likely face a fine,” according to The Athletic. “We won’t know for a few weeks.”
Atlanta will seek to maintain its lead in the NFC South against Tennessee on Sunday, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. EST – but Fontenot and the rest of the Falcons’ decision-makers clearly have a lot on their plates.
Leave a Reply