NFL Trade Rumors: Falcons Price for Fields Revealed?

Even after the coaching change from Arthur Smith to Raheem Morris, who has, in turn, changed offensive coordinators by hiring former fellow Los Angeles Rams assistant Zac Robinson, the Atlanta Falcons still find themselves linked to a familiar name, current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. While the Bears ponder over what to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, thanks to last offseason’s blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers, there is increasing speculation over the future of Fields. If Chicago decides that it is time to move on from the former first-round pick, then it is likely that Fields will find himself traded this offseason. If that is the case, it could present an opportunity for a quarterback-needy team like the Falcons to land their next franchise guy. That possibility was recently proposed by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who projected what a potential trade for Fields would cost Atlanta. “The Falcons have their own second (40) and third-round picks (74),” Barnwell writes. “They also have a pick coming from the Jaguars as part of the Calvin Ridley deal, which will be a second-rounder (48) if Ridley signs an extension with the Jags or a third-rounder (79) if Ridley doesn’t re-sign with the team. I wonder if Atlanta would be more likely to send the 48th pick if it lands it from the Jaguars; if not, the two third-round selections might be the middle ground that makes sense.”

Since the failed pursuit of then-Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Falcons have been unable to find their long-term replacement for Matt Ryan. Their signing of Marcus Mariota two offseasons ago was only a 13-game rental before he was released last offseason after being benched in favor of Desmond Ridder. Then, after giving the former third-round pick out of Cincinnati to prepare as the starter, he started just 15 games, as he was benched twice in favor of his veteran backup, Taylor Heinicke, due to poor performance. After a season where the Falcons underperformed relative to preseason expectations, as they finished with a losing record (7-10) for the sixth-straight season, neither Ridder nor Heinicke is expected to be their starting signal-caller next season.

Given the predicament, Fields is an interesting option. While he won’t come without flaws, many are still skeptical about whether he can become the franchise quarterback that the Falcons need. He did show improvement last season with the Bears.

The former Ohio State Buckeye threw for a career-high 2,562 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 61.4 percent of his passes. In addition, Fields rushed for 657 yards and four scores with his legs in 13 games last season. It is true Fields wouldn’t be the sure-fire choice that, say, a Kirk Cousins would be for the Falcons, but for the cost of potentially just two Day-2 NFL Draft picks, it may be worth the risk.