Fromm Matt to Jake, the Atlanta Falcons need a legit backup quarterback
The preseason has made one thing very clear, the Atlanta Falcons need a legit backup quarterback and Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm is that guy they should zero in on.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert looked like he was making the proper strides to take over for Matt Schaub as the backup to Matt Ryan. However, why not look for a more suitable, long-term answer in the draft next year?
Matt Schaub has been fine this preseason and has looked good in two of the three games that he has played. However, he is 38 years old and is running out of time. The Falcons would find themselves in a bad position should Schaub decide to hang it up after the season.
The Atlanta Falcons have only drafted one quarterback since they took Matt Ryan in 2008. In a passing league, that is ludicrous. Sure, some competition would be fine, though Matt Ryan is a hall of famer and no one drafted since 2008 has been good enough to unseat him.
However, Matt is approaching the age where the Falcons need to consider future options. Yes, players are playing linger than ever before and there is a good chance that Matt has another 10 years in the league as a top tier starter, but as the Patriots have proven, it’s great to have quarterbacks you can flip.
Before going further, let’s make it clear, the author of this opinion is not a UGA fan and is not advocating that the Falcons use UGA as a farm system. Jake Fromm is a kid that check a lot of boxes professionally. He has a strong arm and the ability to run a lot of different offenses. Yes, in college he is nothing more than game manager, but a lot of successful NFL quarterbacks were that in college, including Tom Brady.
The Falcons have never taken a player from the University of Georgia in first two rounds of the NFL draft. I am not suggesting that they spend a first round pick on Fromm in 2020, but spending a second round pick on him would be ideal. Don’t let UGA fans tell you he is a first round talent because he isn’t. More importantly, the Falcons will not have a lot of holes to address next year and backup quarterback will be an important one.
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Fromm makes a lot of sense in 2020 and if Matt Ryan is still playing at a Brady or Brees level in 2024, the Falcons would be able to flip him for a better pick than they spent on him. In the meantime, the Falcons have a young backup quarterback as insurance with time to learn and that is a much better option than Schaub, Simms or Etling.