Defending Michael Penix And The Atlanta Falcons Shocking Selection

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Crazy smart or just plain crazy? We’re defending what everyone else is calling dumb. The Atlanta Falcons made a smart move selecting QB Michael Penix Jr.

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

The 2024 NFL Draft finished this past weekend. Things started off flat, with the chalkiest picks possible through seven teams. So much drama and intrigue about the top ended up being nothing but smoke. And then the Atlanta Falcons had everyone hold their beer. 

It’s overplayed at this point, even just a couple of days later, to say this was an idiotic move and the surprise of the draft. We’re going to take a different tact. How about we try to explain the logic that actually went into what seems to be, on the surface, an idiotic move and the surprise of the draft. Why was Atlanta’s pick of Michael Penix a great move?

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First, there is an assumption we have to take for granted. We are forced to assume that Atlanta thinks Michael Penix is a stud in the making and future franchise quarterback. That is obvious with where they picked him, but it wasn’t a foregone conclusion heading into the draft. In fact, most people thought he was a day-two selection (which plays into the idiocy opinions).

But, since draft analysis and projecting prospects is an impossible task, even for the professionals, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. Penix is a potential franchise passer. His tape indicates as much, so let’s go from there. Defending what everyone calls stupid is easier than you think. The Falcons did the best thing picking Penix.

 

Defending Michael Penix to the Falcons

 

Todd Salem: Understandable But Wild

Atlanta’s rationale for making this selection follows a couple prongs of logic. The Falcons are a relatively talented team, especially on offense. As their brass said after the draft, that means they may not be selecting this high again for some time. As 2024 proved, it is impossible to grab an elite quarterback prospect without a high draft pick. It is the same logic many people speculated Detroit would follow a year ago. Jared Goff is a good but not great quarterback. Detroit was a good overall team. Even though Goff is the guy currently, the Lions would not get another opportunity to pick a franchise passer anytime soon.

The Lions ended up going in another direction and actually reached for a running back after making some trades to reposition themselves. It has worked out thus far, but many draftniks were against the decision at the time. For all intents and purposes, that is the decision Atlanta just made; the one that draftniks wanted Detroit to make. Sure, there are other details that make the two positions diverge, but the logic is the same.

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One of the main details that makes people think this is not a smart decision is Penix’s age. He is an old prospect, turning 24 before his rookie season even begins. Because of Kirk Cousins’ contract, Penix will likely be sitting for at least two seasons, turning 26 before he starts a game. People are clowning Atlanta because of this. But, you know what? If Penix is actually good, won’t he still have the chance to be the Falcons’ starter for over a decade? In the grand scheme, it doesn’t much matter if he’s 24 or 21 right now. A franchise quarterback is going to be playing through his mid-to-late 30s. 

So, if Penix is the guy Atlanta believes in, enough to waste the opportunity of improving a weaker defense with a top-10 selection, why did they just sign Kirk Cousins to all that money? It’s not like they had never heard of Penix when free agency was opening. Well, that just comes down to timing. Perhaps the Falcon front office loved what they saw from Penix but needed more information.

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They signed Cousins in mid March because they felt they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring in a veteran leader for this talented offense. At that point, they had no other QB plan. Then, a couple weeks later, they saw Penix run at his pro day, proving just how athletic and healthy he could be. The next month, they had an official visit with him, proving how much they loved his character and leadership. The Cousins decision was already done and in the books, but they could no longer pass up Penix as the future of the franchise.

So, what do you think? Are you buying it? If you squint? If you don’t think too much about all the other repercussions? Oh, by the way, it’s freaking crazy that Bo Nix was taken 12th!

 

 

Dan Salem: Atlanta Made The Only Good Pick

We wrote about the six seductive quarterbacks in the NFL Draft, of which Michael Penix was number five. He was drafted fourth among QBs, leaving J.J. McCarthy and Nix on the board as the fifth and sixth viable options. I’m not surprised they all got scooped up in the first half of round one, because NFL teams are desperate. There are very few veteran QBs floating around. Most have already been signed as backups, since last year proved you need one or two viable backups. Many former veterans have retired and the most recent crop of young QBs is quickly heading to the CFL or worse. Atlanta made a prudent decision.

While Kirk Cousins is likely a solid option for them this season and next, he is also injury prone and one of the best veteran QBs in the league. He’s won for multiple teams, under a variety of offenses with and without weapons. Kirk Cousins just keeps succeeding, so I dare you to name more than three better QBs to mentor a rookie. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Can you even name more than one still starting?

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Let’s look at things another way. Only one quarterback drafted in 2021 remains a starter, Trevor Lawrence. Zero quarterbacks drafted in 2022 are viable starters and only one QB drafted last year in 2023 is healthy, impressing us and winning games, CJ Stroud. I’m not a fan of USC quarterbacks. Their poor track record in the NFL speaks for itself, so why not Michael Penix? 

Atlanta is in prime position to win their division this season, but after the Jets lost Aaron Rodgers immediately last year, who’s to say how long Cousins will be on the field. He got hurt last season! He’s also an old quarterback. So, with only six viable QBs in the draft, I believe the Falcons made a smart decision by selecting one of them. Personally I’m a “best player available” kind of guy, but Atlanta felt Penix was the best QB available and realized there wouldn’t be one left later on. When most teams have their heads down and only think of the coming season, it appears the Falcons have their head up and are also looking to the future. Will it work? Probably not, but you gotta risk it all to win it all.

 

Meet our Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.

Michael Penix Photo Credits: espn.com and 11alive.com via Getty Images

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