Not trading Austin Hooper is the right decision
By Joe Beasley
With the Atlanta Falcons trading Mohamed Sanu, many expected for the team to trade tight end, Austin Hooper, given the market for elite tight ends like Hoop.
Even though Austin Hooper’s contract is up at the end of the season, the Atlanta Falcons have decided not the trade the young tight end and that is the right move.
Hooper is having one heck on a year and it would have been foolish to trade him for other assets. Statistically, Hooper might be the best tight end in football this season over the likes of Travis Kelci, Zack Ertz, and George Kittle. He leads all tight end in receptions and he ranks second in yards as of week eight.
Tight end is a very important position in the NFL. They are often the security blanket for the quarterback and it’s not a position you can just plugin and have anyone play.
If you look at some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, they’ve had elite and dependable tight ends who worked wonders on offense. Tom Brady has Rob Gronkowski, Drew Brees had Jimmy Graham and yes even our very own Matt Ryan had Tony Gonzalez.
Austin Hooper isn’t either one of those tight ends at this point of his career but he is currently one of the NFL’s best.
Trading Sanu worked for the Falcons because they got an additional second-round draft pick out of it but they also have other receivers to help fill the void this season. If the Falcons would have traded Hooper, who would have stepped in and had the same impact?
Next. Arthur Blank is as much to blame as any player or coach. dark
The Falcons are not in a rebuilding mode and Hooper is a very important piece of this offense. Not only was keeping Hooper the right decision, but the front office should do what they can to resign him in the offseason.