Takkarist McKinley metaphorically removes himself from the trading block
By John Buhler
Takkarist McKinley has decided that he is not getting traded by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takkarist McKinley has removed himself from the trading block.
The first-round pick out of UCLA in the 2017 NFL Draft has had an up-and-down tenure on the Atlanta defense. At times, he has shown flashes of why former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff traded up to get him. In other instances, he stands as one of the biggest reasons the Falcons had a terrible 2017 NFL Draft and Dimitroff is looking for work after 12 years of service.
With McKinley being held out of Thursday Night Football vs. the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers last week, many people tried to connect the dots with McKinley being on the trading block. Though the Falcons have trade to trade their former first-round pick, he is not going anywhere. The source? McKinley himself over Twitter on Monday evening before the NFL trade deadline.
Atlanta declining his fifth-year option means McKinley will be a free agent
The Falcons have had a miserable season thus far. Through their first eight games, the Dirty Birds are an atrocious 2-6. After an 0-5 start to the campaign, Dimitroff and former head coach Dan Quinn were fired. However, this 2-6 start is one win better than their rancid 1-7 start last year. Under interim head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons are 2-1 and should be 3-0, but Falcons…
With team president and former general manager Rich McKay running the front office in the interim, do not expect the Falcons to be wheeling and dealing at the deadline, despite being an obvious seller this season. If McKay can get Atlanta’s next general manager a few picks by trading away a few veterans, he might consider it. However, the Falcons are likely to stand pat this fall.
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Should McKay pull the trigger on an offer for McKinley in the 11th hour, Old Takes Exposed has this covered. McKinley going out of his way to say he is not going to be traded is a tad odd. Frankly, he may want to get out of town since this feels like it will be his last year in Atlanta. Then again, there is still half a season left to prove the former front office wrong about declining his option.
If McKinley is traded by this time tomorrow, he will be the one to break the news of his deal.