The Atlanta Falcons' frustrating Week 8 loss has far more fallout than simply one more game falling into the wrong column. It was a chance for quarterback Kirk Cousins to bolster his trade value and for the Falcons to cement their place as buyers ahead of this year's Nov. 4 trade deadline. Now, Atlanta has no choice but to approach the deadline neither as buyers nor sellers, but simply observing the rest of the league.
Obviously, Cousins is a notable exception to this, but it is impossible to believe anyone would be desperate enough to add the struggling quarterback.
Looking at potential needs, it is clear the Falcons could use upgrades at both corner and receiver. However, moves can no longer be justified in what appears to be another lost season. General manager Terry Fontenot cannot go out and spend more draft picks after already spending next year's first-round selection to add pass rusher James Pearce Jr.
The Falcons are already dealing with limited picks and have little reason for a sense of urgency as the season continues to circle the draft. Atlanta must opt to sit this year's deadline out and simply hope the pieces in place can turn the season around.
Falcons Must Remain Quiet at the Trade Deadline
While it wouldn't be the worst idea to sell off expiring contracts, there simply aren't many enticing options. Arnold Ebiketie has been vital to the pass rush and is likely to be brought back for the 2025 season. Tight end Kyle Pitts has continually improved this season and shown growing chemistry with your young quarterback. Even if Pitts walks away at the end of the year, there is value in keeping the tight-end rostered to continue to grow Penix.
Keeping this in mind, there simply is a lack of enticing pieces for the Falcons to become legitimate sellers. Every piece that is currently worth a draft pick of note is of more importance to what the franchise is building. Cousins remains the clear exception, but doesn't appear to have any likely path to exiting Atlanta.
Opting to plug veteran signal-caller into a backup role makes sense and gives the team a higher potential upside than the majority of the league's secondary options. Still, there is no question that the Falcons have been making calls to see if there is any team interested in attempting to put Cousins' career back on track.
Unless a no-brainer deal emerges, the Falcons must sit back and be patient, letting the deadline play out and focusing their energy on free agency or in-house upgrades. There simply isn't a legitimate reason to make a move based on how the season has played out over the last two weeks, and the offseason will likely be Atlanta's best opportunity to turn things around.