Terry Fontenot's next big Falcons hurdle has nothing to do with Cousins or Penix

With training camp underway in Flowery Branch, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot must figure out how to retain one of the team's best players. Although he was not the one who drafted him, cornerback A.J. Terrell has been a mainstay in the Atlanta secondary since being the No. 16 overall pick out of Clemson in the 2020 NFL Draft. Given that he is an Atlanta native, it is obvious.

In his five years with the Falcons, Terrell has been good to great, but never worse than solid. He is an effective No. 1 cornerback in the league, arguably one of the team's four best players. Terrell may be soft-spoken, but he would rather let his play do the talking for him. He is a technician in coverage, but will occasionally get pushed around by a bigger receiver. Terrell is not one to pick the ball off either.

I would love to have Terrell play out the rest of his prime for our beloved hometown team. He is the type of guy you always find yourself rooting for because he has a level-head on his shoulders, plays great and tends to be about the right things. Unfortunately, recently paid cornerbacks have painted Fontenot into a corner. He may not be worth top-dollar, but there will not be a hometown discount...

With how well the Falcons have drafted in recent first rounds, this will be Fontenot's next big test.

Atlanta Falcons must find a way to extend star cornerback A.J. Terrell

If you want to kick it back to 2018 with Calvin Ridley out of Alabama, Atlanta has hit on pretty much every first-round pick since then. 2019 gave the Dirty Birds all-world guard Chris Lindstrom, as well as quality starting right guard Kaleb McGary. 2020 was obviously Terrell, but he also marks the last first-round draft pick the Falcons made with Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff in critical positions.

Fontenot's first three first-round picks were as follows: Kyle Pitts in 2021, Drake London in 2022 and Bijan Robinson in 2023. While 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. is not expected to play all that much for the next few years as he backs up Kirk Cousins, we are looking at a lengthy chain of first-round picks getting that fifth-year option. Ridley was already gone. McGary did get extended, though.

Simply put, Terrell is playing out his fifth-year option season. Pitts was wisely extended his fifth-year option. London will be getting his next offseason. All signs point to Atlanta doing the same with Robinson in two years. You do see what I am getting at, right? Atlanta has drafted quite well at the top of the draft in recent years, but the Falcons have to be smart about figuring out how to pay their guys.

To me, I think it would send a terrible message to all of Atlanta and the Falcons fanbase if they were to move on from Terrell, barring a major injury this season, of course. He is essentially homegrown. He starred at a regional college football power. Whenever he has played, he has been exceptional. Plus, what happens if you let him walk? Atlanta would have the worst cornerback room across the league.

My hope is that Terrell and his representation get a deal done. Keep in mind that he is an Athletes First client, who is represented by David Mulugheta. Pitts is also represented by Mulugheta, in part. London has a different agent, but he too is an Athletes First client. The last thing Fontenot wants to do is mess with the apple cart and negatively impact what could be coming down the pipeline, y'all.

Atlanta is in win-now mode, and it is hard for me to see them winning big without Terrell a part of it.