NFL Rumors: 4 potential contenders who should give Kirk Cousins $90 million

2. Falcons are a QB away, and Kirk Cousins is a local

Kirk Cousins spends his offseasons in Atlanta. The Atlanta Falcons need a QB. There. I have connected the dots.

There isn't a more "QB away" team in the NFL right now. The Falcons have poured extensive resources into their offensive personnel, drafting Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson early in the first round. Now that Arthur Smith is gone, with his play-calling duties handed off to a Sean McVay protege, the Falcons really just need a quarterback who can throw the ball to the correct jersey color.

Desmond Ridder committed twice as many turnovers (24) as touchdowns (12) last season. He made 13 starts (15 appearances), boosted only by Taylor Heinicke's complete inability to deliver as Atlanta's backup. For every promising throw into traffic, Ridder made a throw into traffic that did not correspond with the location of his intended target. The interceptions were bad enough, but he also fumbled almost once per game. That is unheard of for the QB position — especially a QB who doesn't style himself as a prolific runner or freestyler. Arthur Smith held Ridder's hand every step of the way, to the point that it cost him his job, and Ridder still couldn't keep control of the football.

Cousins on a short-term deal is just the ticket for Atlanta. The Falcons aren't positioned to land one of the best QBs in the draft because the rest of the team was too good. Ryan Nielsen built a top-10 defense out of scrap parts. Raheem Morris should sustain that success. The offense is ready for a bolder approach. Cousins isn't Patrick Mahomes, but he's capable of airing it out. He will help the Falcons finally start to erupt for chunk gains.

Any team that signs Cousins is going to keep the future in mind. Atlanta should still target a QB on draft night to operate as Cousins' disciple. Worst case scenario, Ridder takes on backup duties and gets another couple of years to develop outside the limelight. Either way, Cousins to Atlanta makes a little too much sense.