The Atlanta Falcons should take a flier on QB Marcus Mariota

The Atlanta Falcons are not exactly looking to spend any more cap space on a quarterback since they have Matt Ryan who has the largest cap hit in NFL history.

However, like it or not, the team needs to find a backup quarterback for next season. Even though Matt Ryan has been iron man throughout his career, you simply have to have a backup plan if the nightmare of losing your starting quarterback happens.

The Falcons should take a chance on a former second-overall pick

The Falcons went into last season with a less than ideal situation at the backup quarterback position. They had Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks, which is not exactly the most proven duo of quarterbacks in the league.

With Rosen set to be a free agent, Atlanta should look elsewhere to find their replacement, and they should take a long and hard look at Marcus Mariota, the former second-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Mariota came out of Oregon as a highly regarded and dynamic quarterback. He has elite athleticism but his college success has never transitioned to the NFL. That does not mean the Falcons should not bring him in as a backup quarterback.

In fact, Mariota has a connection to Arthur Smith during their time in Tennessee. Perhaps Smith has seen enough of Mariota to convince Terry Fontenot to pull the trigger.

Marcus Mariota can also bring more to the table than just sitting on the bench waiting for an injury, he can come in on significant downs to be a threat as a runner, much like how the Las Vegas Raiders used him this past season.

It would be a change-of-pace for the offense as Matt Ryan does not exactly have the athleticism of Marcus Mariota. He could put the defense in a bind when he comes onto the field, forcing them to account for the quarterback running game.

We will have to see if Marcus Mariota’s connection to Atlanta ends up paying off, as he could be a valuable situational piece to the offense in 2022.