Terry Fontenot has concerning trade history as Falcons general manager

Terry Fontenot has done a great job constructing a roster that can compete. He was thrust into a bad position when hired in 2021 but had a plan to clear the cap table for the team's future health.

However, there is one area that he has completely flopped in and that is trading draft picks for players. Every player trade Fontenot has made has gone up in flames with the most recent one being the most epic failure.

Terry Fontenot's trades for players have been dumpster fires

In his fourth year, we now have a pretty good idea of what Terry Fontenot excels and struggles as the front office's captain.

Mid-round drafting has frequently been highlighted as Fontenot's biggest weakness but that might take a back seat when you look at his epic flops on the trade market. Let's take a look:

2021:

• 7th-rd for Bills TE Lee Smith

2022:

• 5th-rd for Raiders WR Bryan Edwards & 7th-rd
• 7th-rd for Bills S Dean Marlowe
• Cond. 7th-rd for Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton

2023:

• 7th-rd for Patriots TE Jonnu Smith
• 5th-rd for Lions CB Jeff Okudah
• 6th-rd for Rams WR Van Jefferson & 7th-rd
• 7th-rd for Eagles DT Kentavius Street & cond. pick

2024:

• QB Desmond Ridder for Cardinals WR Rondale Moore

• 3rd-rd for Patriots OLB Matt Judon

Out of his nine trades, you can realistically say two or three of them worked out—not a good success rate.

The only trades that weren't awful were for Lee Smith, Jonnu Smith, Kentavius Street, and, depending on how you look at it, Rondale Moore.

The Atlanta Falcons essentially got nothing out of Bryan Edwards, Dean Marlowe (besides a blown coverage against the Panthers at the end of the game), Rashad Fenton, Jeff Okudah, Van Jefferson, and, of course, Matt Judon.

In Fontenot's defense, some of those scream Arthur Smith-led trades, especially Van Jefferson.

On the flip side, the fourth-year GM has done a great job getting value out of his players. He traded Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Deion Jones at the perfect time, and somehow got something for Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.

Sometimes you have to live with the bad for all the good. If Fontenot can limit the trades for players and improve his mid-round drafting then the Atlanta Falcons will contend for a long time.