5 Possible missteps the Atlanta Falcons made in criticized offseason

5. Retaining Taylor Heinicke

Taylor Heinicke is an easy player to root for. The veteran quarterback had a hard road to the league and an impressive debut. He's a gamer who often found a way to play above his talent level and create big plays. However, that never translated during his time in Atlanta.

The Falcons were desperate for stability at the quarterback position and Heinicke was every bit as bad as Desmond Ridder. This should have demanded the team move on and save $7 million in cap space.

Money the team could have used to bring in a veteran corner or pass rusher. Instead, the team reworked Heinicke's deal and brought the veteran back. This was followed by adding Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.

Atlanta would have been better served to move on from Heinicke and bring in a different veteran to sit behind Cousins and Penix. The quarterback room is extremely deep but it seems that a lot of salary is being wasted at the position.

If the Falcons were a playoff team this would be ideal. With so little depth at other positions that will see the field, however, it seems an obvious mistake. The team would have been better served to use the salary at positions of higher need.