Atlanta Falcons make a great trade for Hayden Hurst

The Atlanta Falcons lost Austin Hooper today but gained another very good tight end as they traded a second-round pick to the Ravens for former first-round pick Hayden Hurst.

There have already been Atlanta Falcons fans and writers that have trashed this trade, which is crazy. Hayden Hurst is a first-round talent, a better blocker than Hooper and was in a logjam in Baltimore. Trading a second-round pick for him is a win-win for the Falcons.

Let’s not forget, the Falcons had an extra second-round pick, to begin with after trading Mohamed Sanu to the Patriots. The franchise effectively traded an expendable Sanu for a tight end that his better than anyone in the current draft and is a better blocker than the tight ends you lost today.

People are quick to crap on a deal because general manager Thomas Dimitroff is still in charge, but this was a very good trade and in the long run, the Falcons more than likely will have gotten better at a position of need than they were the year before.

As we have seen over the last 12 years from quarterback Matt Ryan, he will take Hurst under his tutelage and bring the best out of him. That is not drinking the Ryan Kool-Aid that is simply reiterating exactly what Matt has done his entire career with players brought into this offense.

Having a talented player like Hurst under contract for the next couple of years definitely softens the blow felt by Hooper agreeing to a deal with the Browns. He is under contract for the next two years with a third-year being a team option because he is still on his rookie deal. That is a great situation for this offense as well as the cap situation that this team still has despite cutting Desmond Trufant and Devonta Freeman.

There are plenty of reasons to want Dimitroff out, but this trade isn’t one of them.