When the Atlanta Falcons opened up OTAs last week, one notable veteran not in attendance was veteran tight end Kyle Pitts. As you can imagine, it caused a stir on social media as the former first-round pick is entering the last year of his rookie deal.
However, James Palmer of Underdog Fantasy reported the next day that Pitts is dealing with a foot issue and was in the building, just not on the field, which has nothing to do with a contract.
Fast forward to Monday, and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is taking things easy with the veteran pass catcher.
According to Falcons senior editor and staff writer Will McFadden, Morris said that they are being “extremely cautious” with Pitts from a physical standpoint at OTA practices. The Falcons' head coach added that we won’t see the vet on grass and didn’t specify the injury he’s dealing with.
Based on Morris’ comments, some fans will think that this means the Falcons could trade him in the near future.
Last week, Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reported that multiple teams have inquired about Pitts’ availability. But he added that nothing is imminent, and the Falcons prefer to keep Pitts. He also mentioned that it would take a Day 2 pick for Atlanta to take things seriously.
While Pitts has the talent to warrant a Day 2 pick in a potential trade, he struggled to live up to the expectations of a first-round pick. Last season, Pitts had 47 receptions (74 targets) for 74 targets for 602 yards and four touchdowns, which isn’t bad.
He also had a 5.8 yards after catch per reception (career-high), but a 5.4 dropped passes per target percentage (second-highest in his career). The Falcons likely didn’t expect veteran wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud to outperform Pitts in some aspects, but that’s what happened – 62 receptions (87 targets) for 686 yards and a touchdown.
That being said, it will be interesting to see how this Pitts’ dilemma plays out over the next few weeks. The Falcons don’t want to trade him, but can’t blame them for listening to see what his value is across the league.