3 perfect trades to jump-start the Bill Belichick era for the Atlanta Falcons
Bill Belichick, the greatest coach in the history of football, is a free agent and is currently talking with the Atlanta Falcons. It does not appear that a deal is imminent, but the Falcons might be the most intriguing of all the teams who plan to come knocking at Belichick's door. They have young and electric playmakers on offense, and a fast and effective defense.
Despite going 7-10 in 2023, The Falcons are only a few moves away from winning a Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. They will need to make a few tweaks to get there, and in this article, you will read about three trades that will help Bill get Super Bowl ring number nine (seventh as a head coach). For salary cap moves and free agent signings, he can do right away — check out 3 signings that could launch Bill Belichick era for the Atlanta Falcons.
The three trades we are going to look at today will give Bill more coveted draft capital (which one always needs to build a winner), a pass rusher with a veteran presence, and the best piece of all, a quarterback to hoist the trophy with him on the platform next to Roger Goodell. After these three trades, and three roster moves, the Atlanta Falcons could very well be the NFC favorite in 2024.
3. Falcons trade the No. 8 Pick to the Los Angeles Rams
The Falcons currently hold picks Nos. 8, 43, 74, and 79 in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. That's not a bad way to start, but Bill loves to trade back and collect multiple draft assets. In this case, he is going to double his assets.
The Rams have an aging quarterback, who might very well hang up his cleats before the 2024 season begins. They need a young quarterback, if not this coming season, then definitely for 2025. They've mortgaged the future of the team in the past. First to acquire Jalen Ramsey, and then to acquire Matt Stafford. They won't be opposed to doing it again, to get to another Super Bowl.
By the time the No. 8 pick rolls around, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will be long gone. Jayden Daniels could potentially slip to No. 8, but at the very least Michael Penix Jr will be there, and he's a guy with talent a team can build around. You may be wondering why the Falcons don't draft him, since they need a quarterback right now. Bill is not looking to build something long-term, he wants to win now, and rookie quarterbacks just don't do that. He finds his quarterback via trade in a couple of slides.
The Falcons receive 4 draft picks
It's a match made in heaven, as both teams need what the other one has. To get their quarterback of the future, the Rams send the Atlanta Falcons four draft picks. They give up their first-round pick in the 2024 draft (No. 19 or 20), their third-round pick in 2024 (No. 83), and their first and third-round picks in 2025 (which if the Rams start a rookie quarterback could be top-10).
Now the Falcons will pick Nos. 19, 43, 74, 79, and 83 in the first three rounds of the draft in Bill Belichick's first season. If you are wondering what sort of players are mocked there across a number of draft websites, the Falcons could bring in CB Cooper DeJean (Iowa) to play opposite AJ Terrell. They trade their second-round pick for a quarterback.
With their third-round picks, they can add some interior defensive line help with defensive tackle Maason Smith (LSU), linebacker help in Edgerrin Cooper (Texas A&M), and boost the offensive line with Kiran Amegadjie (Yale). That's not a bad young core to add to this team.