NFL's unfair punishment screwed up Falcons' trade deadline plans

The NFL has been known for its inconsistent punishments through the years. Routinely we have seen lesser violations punished harder than that of bigger violations.

The Atlanta Falcons know that firsthand; they were investigated for tampering after signing quarterback Kirk Cousins. Yes, it was pretty obvious they tampered but every team does this and 99% of the time they aren't punished.

Atlanta was fined and docked a fifth-round pick which didn't seem like a huge deal—it could've been much worse.

However, thanks to the Falcons' success this season, they were shopping around forpass rush help before the trade deadline. They ultimately didn't make a move and the reason can be traced back to the tampering punishment.

Falcons' deadline silence directly related to their missing fifth-round pick

This year's trade deadline in the NFL centered around day-three picks. There weren't many day-two picks thanks to the lack of top-end players which killed the Atlanta Falcons for two reason.

First, and most obvious, they couldn't offer teams a fifth-rounder. There was a lot of value in that range of compensation and not having that pick ultimately killed Terry Fontenot's plans.

Second, and less obvious, the Falcons only have five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. They traded their third-rounder for Matt Judon, lost their fifth-rounder as a punishment for tampering, and traded their sixth-rounder for Van Jefferson.

There are consequences of leaving a draft with fewer than five players. Not only does it hurt your depth but it hurts your salary cap.

Ultimately, Terry Fontenot and the Falcons weren't comfortable with trading more picks and wouldn't overpay for anyone. Like it or not, that is the reality. The NFL's decision to take a fifth-round pick didn't hurt them in the draft, it hurt them at the trade deadline.

It is a shame because we have seen double standards with tampering violations. The league either turns a blind eye to violations or punishes teams inconsistently.