Falcons Falcons GM Terry Fontenot after drafting QB Michael Penix Jr.: “Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We’re very excited about Kirk and our team. Michael Penix is about the future. We are very excited about that quarterback room.” (Josh Kendall) Atlanta QB Kirk Cousins‘ agent Mike McCartney on the Falcons taking Penix: “Yes, it was a big surprise. We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation.” (Mike ..read more

Cardinals Cardinals’ first-round WR Marvin Harrison Jr. said he’s always had “big shoes to fill” with his father, former Colts WR Marvin Harrison, and now must live up to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona.  “I’ve always had big shoes to fill, and being an Arizona Cardinal, knowing the legacy Fitz had, I’m going to do my best to hopefully out-do him like I’m trying to out-do my Dad,” Harrison Jr. said, via Darren Urban of the team’s site. “They both had Hall of Fame careers. Hopefully I can do the same.” Cardinals OT Paris Johnson Jr. doesn’t think Harrison Jr. is always comparing himself to his ..read more

Falcons Despite never playing for new Falcons HC Raheem Morris, veteran S Jessie Bates feels they have a good relationship because of how Morris treats everyone around the facility. “With coach Rah, I haven’t played for him or anything like that, but it almost feels like I played for him before,” Bates said, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “With him coming in and setting the atmosphere for what we want to be as a team and the way he’s explaining everything — how he wants us to be football players, he wants guys to be complete men, just overall, all-around great people in this building ..read more

Falcons Atlanta shocked the league by taking 2024 first-round QB Michael Penix Jr. after committing $180 million to QB Kirk Cousins in free agency. Falcons S Jessie Bates wasn’t surprised and thinks Penix can bring a lot of positives to the team right away. “But, you know, it wasn’t very surprising to me,” Bates said, via the team’s YouTube. “I knew what type of player he is. Being from Indiana, I kind of had an idea of who he was and I think he had a couple of almost-upsets against Ohio State. And I just watch football and I can tell that he has a knack and the NFL likes to come out with thes ..read more

Falcons Falcons S Jessie Bates on new QB Kirk Cousins: “His presence alone just being there is next level. The coaches can’t be on the field too much but when you have a guy like Coach Kirk Cousins he can go out there and run a whole script. That presence is something that’s priceless.” (Josh Kendall) Atlanta G Chris Lindstrom also had great words regarding Cousins: “It’s been phenomenal. It feels like he’s been here for years. You hear stories about how great a professional he is, but then when you watch the way the guy works, it’s been remarkable. You couldn’t ask for anything more.” (Kenda ..read more

Undrafted free agency is an important part of the team-building process. From a pure numbers perspective, the NFL has to rely on undrafted free agents to compromise somewhere between a quarter and a third of all active players — not even counting practice squads. There were 257 players drafted last month and at least that many, probably more than 300, will be signed as undrafted free agents.  That makes undrafted free agency a potentially important source of talent. Ninety percent of these players will be cut and wash out of the NFL in a few years. But there will be a couple dozen who sti ..read more

Falcons Falcons GM Terry Fontenot dismissed criticisms of the decision to take QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick after signing QB Kirk Cousins to a massive deal.  “It’s unconventional because no one expected it, right?” Fontenot said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “It’s unconventional because that’s human nature, to say we expect something. And we say, ‘This is going to happen,’ and when someone does something different and more uncommon in terms of what we expect, you say it’s unconventional.” Fontenot explained they viewed picking in the top ten as a chance to secure thei ..read more

Falcons After selecting 2024 first-round QB Michael Penix Jr. and spending $180 million on QB Kirk Cousins in free agency, some wonder what the position will look like in the short-term future. Atlanta HC Raheem Morris reiterated that Cousins is the starter and there will not be a quarterback controversy.  “We came up with a decision, this is what we plan to do,” Morris said, via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “And Kirk does not have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a bad pass. Like, that is not the case.” “So I know I’m going to have to tell you guys once or twice that that is not t ..read more

Broncos Declined QB Zach Wilson‘s fifth-year option Browns Exercised CB Greg Newsome‘s fifth-year option Signed OL Brian Allen Cardinals Cardinals waived WR Kaden Davis and CB Quavian White Cowboys Signed WR Tyron Johnson Signed RB Ezekiel Elliott Falcons Signed WR Isaiah Wooden, P Ryan Sanborn, QB John Paddock, CB Jayden Price, OL Nolan Potter, OL Ryan Coll, WR JaQuae Jackson, CB Anthony Sao, TE Austin Stogner and CB Trey Vaval Exercised TE Kyle Pitts’ fifth-year option Jaguars Released WR Zay Jones and K Joey Slye Declined QB Mac Jones‘ fifth-year option Signed WR Brevin Easton, L ..read more

Falcons The Falcons shocked everyone on Thursday by taking QB Michael Penix Jr. at pick No. 8 overall despite committing $180 million to QB Kirk Cousins in free agency. After reports came out that Cousins was surprised by the pick, Penix mentioned they touched base and had a discussion. “I’m going to keep it just between me and him right now,” Penix said, via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “But it was definitely a good conversation, and I’m super excited to work with him, and he said he’s the same with me.” Panthers New Panthers WR Xavier Legette made it clear before the draft that Carolina had express ..read more