The Falcons have been fairly active this offseason, agreeing to the largest free agent deal of the free agency era, signing Kirk Cousins to a whopping $180 million contract over four years.
Terry Fontenot found his quarterback and someone to pass to in Darnell Mooney, who signed to a three-year deal worth $39 million shortly after the legal tampering period began.
Over the next week or so, the Falcons would sign deals with both new and familiar faces, adding depth and role players such as Charlie Woerner, Nate Landman, Ryan Neuzil, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Kentavius Street, KhaDarel Hodge, and Storm Norton.
The trade of Desmond Ridder and Rondale Moore between the Cardinals and Falcons was one of the more fascinating deals, and it might pay off big. Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently discussed the agreement, describing it as a ‘change-of-scenery swap’:
A player-to-player trade! What a time to be alive. Atlanta no longer needed its deposed starting quarterback after Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons in free agency. With two years remaining on his rookie contract, the Falcons traded Ridder to the Cardinals for Moore, who is entering the final year of a four-year contract signed as a second-round pick in 2021.
This is fundamentally a change of scenery swap. Ridder appeared overmatched as Atlanta’s starter and was expected to be buried on the depth chart for the next two years. Moore was drafted by Arizona’s former Steve Keim/Kliff Kingsbury administration and amassed 1,201 receiving yards in his first three seasons combined. This deal benefits both sides.
Ridder will be a cheap backup for Arizona ($2.6 million over the next two years), but he carries no risk. The Cardinals can cut bait with their third-round pick since there is no dead money.
Moore is an exciting player for Atlanta, but he hasn’t always lived up to the expectations of his second-round draft pick. Zac Robinson will have to be inventive in his job because, at this moment, he appears to be a gadget player. Those can be useful, but only if a coordinator can get them the ball in space.
There is virtually little downside for either team, and both players could benefit from a change of scenery.
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