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The Atlanta Falcons could be in play for TE Martellus Bennett

By Colin Hubbard

Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett (83) makes a catch and runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett (83) makes a catch and runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Falcons list of priorities has shrunk a bit but the list still includes several major positions including tight end. The Falcons haven’t had a dynamic TE since Tony Gonzalez hung up his cleats at the end of the 2013 season and that has shown in the Falcons’ lack of ball movement since then.

There is no replacing a guy of Gonzalez’s stature. He is one of a kind and will forever be considered as one of the best players in NFL history and without a doubt as the best TE ever to play the game. However, the Falcons need to find someone who can at least make an impact in more ways than one and Chicago Bears’ TE Martellus Bennett could be that guy.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter made it known on Mar. 4 that the Bears were trying to trade Bennett but here we are almost two weeks later and nothing has gone down. At least four teams have been linked to Bennett and while the Falcons haven’t directly been linked, they are believed to be one of the possible trading partners for the 29-year-old.

There’s only one problem in that and that’s the lack of assets Atlanta has to use. They are already short two draft picks and don’t have a lot of young talent worth trading in return for Bennett. The asking price that the Bears are asking for Bennett is unknown but unless they drop it down some, the Falcons likely aren’t going to make a deal.

If the trade is for a seventh-round pick than great, make the deal but that’s probably a lowball offer. Unfortunately, the Falcons do not have a fifth or sixth-round draft pick and sending Chicago a fourth-round pick may be a little steep for them.

As far as players on the roster to trade to them instead of a draft pick, there really aren’t any. It’s really doubtful that they would trade away a guy like Jalen Collins who was the Falcons’ second-round pick a season ago but other than him, who else would the Bears even consider? The players that could potentially be trading assets are at positions that are already thin for Atlanta so trading a player outright just isn’t likely.

Bennett would be a great fit in Atlanta. He is a tremendous athlete at 6-6, 273 pounds and would give the Falcons not only a great offensive weapon to throw the ball too, but a solid guy in run protection as well. Bennett would instantly give the Falcons an upgrade at the TE position over Jacob Tamme and would all but secure Levine Toilolo‘s future release from the team.

The guy may not be the most mentally stable guy out there but at the end of the day he’s a good football player and would be worth the trade if it’s for a rather reasonable price. The Bears are looking more and more like the will take whatever they can get for him so a seventh-round pick may not be off the table.

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We will have to wait and see how things shake out but the odds of Bennett playing for team other than the Bears in 2016 is pretty high regardless if that team is the Falcons.

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