Ian Cunningham hasn't been the GM of the Atlanta Falcons for very long, but it didn't take long for him to win fans over. In his opening presser, he revealed he plans to build this team through the draft, which is a roster building blueprint Falcons fans aren't used to seeing, but is a very welcomed change.
The 40-year-old also made sure to show a contrast between he and Terry Fontenot, who burned through draft picks like a rapper burns through money. Beyond his desire to stockpile draft picks, Cunningham confirmed the Dirty Birds want to develop and retain most of their homegrown talent.
This bodes very well for Kyle Pitts, who is in line to hit free agency early next month. There have been discussions surfacing questioning if he's worth the money it would cost the Falcons to extend him, but Cunningham is aware you don't let a game-changing talent like Pitts leave the facility that easily.
It sure sounds like Ian Cunningham wants to keep Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson in Atlanta long-term
Pitts is expected to receive the franchise tag to buy the front office time to sign him to an extension, but least they don't plan to let him hit the open market. If that happened, he would have enough suitors to the point it would be risky for the Falcons to give him a chance to sign elsewhere.
The 25-year-old had a bounce back year where he caught 88 passes and his 928 receiving yards marked his most since his 1,000-yard rookie year. Pitts became a larger part of the offense down the stretch, and Kevin Stefanski's offense is so TE-friendly, there's no reason not to bring him back.
However, Cunningham's "draft, develop, retain" moniker could also have a bearing on Drake London and Bijan Robinson's future in Atlanta. Both young superstars are eligible for new extensions, and the longer they wait to start negotiating, the higher the price tag will get, especially in London's case.
Bijan is an interesting case study because running backs rarely get paid top dollar, but he and Jahmyr Gibbs are both capable of resetting the RB market. Ideally, Cunningham is able to beat Brad Holmes to the punch, but he must remain aware of the short RB shelf life to get the most out of a new deal.
As far as London goes, he's expected to land $30 million per year on a new deal, but an injury-riddled 2025 may result in him receiving less money than anticipated. He's the best wide receiver on this team and Michael Penix Jr.'s favorite target, so the Falcons can't afford to let him leave either.
Drafting three franchise-altering skill players in the top 10 in the NFL Draft is incredibly risky, yet it didn't stop Fontenot. Now it has Cunningham and Matt Ryan in a serious predicament, so he better put his money where his mouth is and pony up the cash to back up his own words.