week

season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-rumors-arthur-blank-tea-leaves-hint-possible-kirk-cousins-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons rumors: Arthur Blank tea leaves hint at ‘possible’ Kirk Cousins trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Falcons-quarterback-Kirk-Cousins.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons rumors: Arthur Blank tea leaves hint at ‘possible’ Kirk Cousins trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-08T07:38:29-07:00">April 8th, 7:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-08T07:38:29-07:00">April 8th, 7:38am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons are entering the 2025 NFL draft with quite a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-rumors-browns-falcons-kirk-cousins-trade-buzz-another-level">quarterback conundrum</a> on their hands, as they benched Kirk Cousins at the end of the 2024 campaign in favor of rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. The problem is that Cousins was signed to a massive four-year, $180 million contract, and while the team has seemed content to hold onto Cousins and employ him as Penix’s backup, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-news-arthur-blank-opens-up-relationship-kirk-cousins">Falcons owner Arthur Blank</a> may have other ideas.</p><p>Holding onto Cousins wouldn’t exactly be Atlanta’s preferred outcome, but they are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to his contract. Cousins has a no-trade clause in his deal which further complicates things, but after initially showing no interest in trading the veteran passer, reports surfaced from the NFL league meetings suggesting that Blank was <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/nfl-takeaways-cam-ward-emerged-no-1-draft-pick" rel="noopener">open to trading</a> the four-time Pro Bowler.</p><p>“After sitting in on Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s media session at the owners’ meeting, I still think a trade of Kirk Cousins is possible for draft weekend. As we’ve said, Cousins would rather see what teams do in the first round of the draft before accepting a trade. And he can make it so, since he has a no-trade clause in his contract,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported.</p><h2><b>Arthur Blank, Falcons’ plan for Kirk Cousins begins to emerge</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kirk-Cousins_af8bc0.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cousins would prefer to land with a team where he’d start if he gets traded, which is why a trade does not seem imminent at this time. On the second or third day of the draft, though, there could be an opening for Cousins to fill, which could lead to him waiving his no-trade clause and freeing the Falcons of his massive contract.</p><p>Considering the way in which things played out with Penix, Cousins isn’t going to do Atlanta any favors, and the team is going to have to hope that some sort of trade comes to fruition during the draft. Otherwise, they may find themselves stuck with the most expensive backup quarterback in the NFL for the 2025 season and potentially beyond.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons rumors: Arthur Blank tea leaves hint at ‘possible’ Kirk Cousins trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-news-ex-falcons-receiver-julio-jones-retires-after-hof-career');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ex-Falcons receiver Julio Jones retires after HOF career');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Julio-Jones-playing-for-the-Falcons-.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ex-Falcons receiver Julio Jones retires after HOF career</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T15:05:18-07:00">April 4th, 3:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T15:24:41-07:00">April 4th, 3:24pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After spending the 2024 NFL season on the couch, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/ranking-10-greatest-atlanta-falcons-of-all-time">all-time great Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones</a> has made it official, announcing his retirement from the NFL after 13 largely productive professional seasons.</p><p>Making the announcement on the social media app Squad, the 36-year-old Jones boldly declared that <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1908277766363172930" rel="noopener">his time on the gridiron was done</a>, noting that he’s ready to begin the next chapter of his life and career following a quiet end to his on-field career. Growing up, Jones dreamed of being an NFL player, and ultimately, that dream came true, with the former Falcons player achieving more than he could have imagined at the professional level.</p><p>“Today I’m announcing my retirement,” Julio Jones said via The Spun. “I started when I was 8 years old. I was just a kid from Foley, Alabama. It was an amazing ride. I’d like to thank my family. Without them, none of this could be possible.”</p><p>So, why did Jones announce his retirement today? Well, because it’s April 4th, aka 404 day, which holds a special place for fans from Atlanta because of the city’s zipcode.</p><p>“I’m making this announcement today because of the city of Atlanta. Thank you, man. I appreciate you guys. It’s nothing but love.”</p><p>While Jones just announced the news and more will inevitably come out in the next few days and weeks – expect him to formally retire as a member of the Falcons this fall – the decisionmaking behind the deal should put a smile on Georgian fans faces, as even after a few detores along the way, including runs with the Tennessee Titans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/eagles-nick-sirianni-hints-at-julio-jones-week-7-role-after-signing">the Philadelphia Eagles</a>, the former All-Pro never forgot his NFL roots.</p><p>Even if some questioned the decision to trade up for Jones at the time, as the price was huge, in the end, the Falcons got an incredible decade out of the Alabama product and will now give him a place in the annals of their franchise’s history forever after a job well done.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ex-Falcons receiver Julio Jones retires after HOF career

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-york-jets/grading-jets-falcons-kyle-pitts-trade-proposal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading ESPN’s Jets-Falcons Kyle Pitts trade proposal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Grading-ESPNs-Jets-Falcons-Kyle-Pitts-trade-proposal-1-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading ESPN’s Jets-Falcons Kyle Pitts trade proposal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T05:14:30-07:00">April 4th, 5:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T05:14:30-07:00">April 4th, 5:14am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NFL Draft is right around the corner, which means we could see some big trades soon. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-news-arthur-blank-opens-up-relationship-kirk-cousins">Trading attention around the Atlanta Falcons is pointed at Kirk Cousins</a>, but more moves could be made. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/story/_/id/44427621/2025-nfl-mock-draft-all-trades-deals-32-round-1-picks-players-parsons-cousins" rel="noopener">cooked up some fake</a> NFL Draft trades, including one that sends Kyle Pitts to the New York Jets. Who won this fake deal, and is it one they should pull off?</p><p>The trade sends the seventh overall pick and a 2026 third-rounder to the Atlanta Falcons for Pitts and the 15th overall pick. The Jets would slot Pitts in as their starting tight end after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/chargers-news-tight-end-move-catch-fans-attention">losing Tyler Conklin in free agency</a>. They would also have a chance to improve their team in the middle of the first round, only taking an eight-pick penalty.</p><p>For the Falcons, they would be losing one of Michael Penix’s targets but trading up to a place where they could improve their defense. Is that worth it to give up on the former fourth-overall pick? Let’s find out in these fake trade grades.</p><h2><b>This is a middling move for the Jets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Grading-ESPNs-Jets-Falcons-Kyle-Pitts-trade-proposal.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There is no doubt that the Jets are in desperate need of talent. Behind Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Sauce Gardner, they do not have elite talent to build around. Pitts had that promise when he came into the league in 2021, but he has not lived up to that in his NFL career. The thought process is right for the Jets, get <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jets-news-justin-fields-40-million-contract-free-agency">solid offensive players around Justin Fields</a> and eventually a rookie, but Pitts is not the right guy.</p><p>Giving up a third-round pick in 2026 is essentially like the Eagles or Chiefs giving up a second-rounder. The Jets will be near the top of the draft next year and be picking near the top of that third round. But if Pitts blossoms into what he was promised, that is a low price to pay.</p><p>Moving down eight spots in what is being considered a weak NFL Draft is a tough sell for a team in desperate need of talent. They could use that third-round pick in a different trade and stay at number seven if that is the path they wanted to go. They could also draft Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at number seven. Pitts may not be that valuable to the Jets, who should be looking to save money to sign Wilson and Gardner. This would add another expiring rookie deal to their cap sheet.</p><p><b>Jets grade: C+</b></p><h2><b>A head-scratcher for the Falcons</b></h2><p>The Atlanta Falcons are looking to trade Kirk Cousins and could potentially cut him after June 1 to make Michael Penix Jr their starter. Trading away a pass-catcher with upside when trying to develop a second-year quarterback is nonsensical. Yes, Pitts has not been the talent they were hoping for when they picked him fourth. But he is still a solid option holding down an important spot on the depth chart.</p><p>The Falcons have plenty of needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They can move up in the draft to take Mason Graham or Jalon Walker if they want to, but should not create other needs to do so. This would create a need that not even a breakout Drake London season could solve.</p><p>The third-round pick is a nice pickup, especially considering they may have to attach a pick to get rid of Cousins. But none of this is worth it. If they want to let Pitts walk in free agency after the season, they can do that. But not giving him a chance to succeed with Penix is selling the asset at its lowest.</p><p><b>Falcons grade: D+</b></p><h2><b>Final Kyle Pitts trade thoughts</b></h2><p>This is not a wise move for either side. If Pitts does blossom into a star, the Falcons will live to regret this deal. The Jets need to take the best player they can get their hands on at the 2025 NFL Draft. Passing up the opportunity to take Graham or Walker is not the way Darren Mougey should start his GM tenure.</p><p>If the Jets are looking for a tight end, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/penn-state-footballs-tyler-warren-gets-major-nfl-combine-draft-updates">Tyler Warren should be available at number seven</a>. After passing on Brock Bowers last year, they can’t pass up on that type of talent again. Pitts has proven he is not at that level of talent, so trading down for him is not the right move.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading ESPN’s Jets-Falcons Kyle Pitts trade proposal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-arthur-blank-opens-up-relationship-kirk-cousins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Arthur Blank opens up about Falcons relationship with Kirk Cousins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Falcons-news-Arthur-Blank-opens-up-about-Falcons-relationship-with-Kirk-Cousins.jpg"></figure><h1>Arthur Blank opens up about Falcons relationship with Kirk Cousins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T19:12:15-07:00">April 1st, 7:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T19:12:15-07:00">April 1st, 7:12pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons created a quarterback controversy last year when they s<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/falcons-rumors-atlanta-blindside-kirk-cousins-michael-penix-jr">igned Kirk Cousins in free agency and drafted Michael Penix Jr</a>. in the first round. They started with Cousins, but his poor play forced Penix into action and he was much better. Now, they are looking to move on from Cousins this offseason. Falcons owner Arthur Blank sat down with Cousins and discussed his future with the team. Blank <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1907243832590127152" rel="noopener">then relayed that information</a> to NFL Network’s Steve Wyche at the Owners Meetings.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Falcons owner Arthur Blank explains where things stand between QB Kirk Cousins and the team. Good stuff from the NFL League meetings. From The Insiders on NFL Network. <a href="https://t.co/klt1bCyrYq">pic.twitter.com/klt1bCyrYq</a></p><p>— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) <a href="https://twitter.com/wyche89/status/1907242815756640761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“It could not have been a more cordial and more respectful conversation. I heard everything he said. I understand everything he said. And he also understood where we were as a team and as a franchise.”</p><p>Blank continued, “I think it created clarity about what he hoped for and what his views were and what happened and why it happened, et cetera. So I think we’re in a good place, and if he ends up being our backup quarterback, we’ll have the best in the National Football League, which is always a good thing. And if we end up making a different decision, we’ll move on.”</p><p>The Falcons are committed to Penix as their quarterback of the future. Considering he almost got a 6-6 team into the playoffs as a rookie, it is well deserved. But Cousins’ contract runs through 2027 and does not have a natural out until after this season. That is why Blank says that the Falcons could have him as their $40 million backup this season.</p><p>If the Falcons do move on from Cousins, there are only two natural landing spots left. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/browns-kenny-pickett-makes-qb1-claim-after-eagles-trade">Cleveland Browns currently have Kenny Pickett</a>, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have Mason Rudolph as theirs. Aaron Rodgers and Cousins are the two veterans left on the market and could fill both of those roles.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Arthur Blank opens up about Falcons relationship with Kirk Cousins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-browns-falcons-kirk-cousins-trade-buzz-another-level');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Browns-Falcons Kirk Cousins trade buzz hits another level');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Browns-Falcons-Kirk-Cousins-trade-buzz-hits-another-level.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Browns-Falcons Kirk Cousins trade buzz hits another level</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T06:11:02-07:00">April 1st, 6:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T06:12:59-07:00">April 1st, 6:12am</time><address><a>Tim Crean</a>Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined ClutchPoints in 2022. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL, NBA, soccer, sports media, and more. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie, it is a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York and when he’s not enjoying a round of golf he's probably coaching youth soccer or flag football. You can catch all of his sports-related musings on Twitter at @twcrean.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/browns-trade-proposal-lands-kirk-cousins-falcons-rumors">Clevland Browns-Atlanta Falcons trade for quarterback Kirk Cousins</a> is heating up, and at least one NFL insider believes it is likely to happen before the season starts. Dianna Russini of The Athletic is hearing more buzz that a deal for the embattled veteran QB could happen.</p><p>“I don’t know how far along it is right now. I just know there is enough smoke around this and enough conversations being had that this would not be a surprising move,” Russini said on her Scoop City podcast. “Knowing Kevin Stefanski coached Kirk Cousins when he was in Minnesota, it makes a lot of sense why that would work.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Based on the conversations I've been hearing, it would not be surprising to see Kirk Cousins end up in Cleveland. <a href="https://t.co/bqZ1PZi4AJ">pic.twitter.com/bqZ1PZi4AJ</a></p><p>— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMRussini/status/1907025398552289666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Browns obviously need a quarterback as they navigate the final years of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/browns-news-jimmy-haslem-admits-swing-and-miss-deshaun-watson-trade">spectacular Deshaun Watson trade failure</a>, and, as for Cousins and the Falcons, the team is moving on with second-year signal-caller Michael Penix Jr., so it makes little sense to have a $40 million, 36-year-old quarterback on the roster this season.</p><p>Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has already said at the owners’ meeting that they will “<a href="https://x.com/DMRussini/status/1907038566590411182" rel="noopener">look into a trade</a>” and that “Atlanta doesn’t expect him to show up for voluntary work this spring,” Russini also reported.</p><p>With Watson likely out for the season after an Achilles tendon injury setback, the only QB on the Browns roster heading into the 2025 NFL Draft is Kenny Pickett.</p><p>While this trade does make sense for both sides, there are still several hurdles to clear, specifically around compensation.</p><p>If the Falcons do trade Cousins, they would take a significant cap hit. To make it worth their while, they would have to get some decent draft capital in return. For the Browns, a team that already gave up a ton of draft capital over the last few seasons for Watson, how much will they be willing to part with for a one to two-year rental, at best?</p><p>What would make the deal more enticing to the Falcons is if it happens before the late-April draft so that they could reap some of the rewards immediately.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Browns-Falcons Kirk Cousins trade buzz hits another level

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/atlanta-falcons-7-round-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pff-simulator');   ga('set', 'title', 'Atlanta Falcons 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Atlanta-Falcons-7-round-2025-NFL-mock-draft-per-PFF-simulator.jpg"></figure><h1>Atlanta Falcons 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T17:38:57-07:00">March 31st, 5:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T17:38:57-07:00">March 31st, 5:38pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna has joined ClutchPoints as Associate Editor of NFL &amp; NCAA Football. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports. His Twitter/X handle is @LJ_Reyna and his Instagram is @lj_zo_rey.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons broke out of their three-year streak of holding the eighth overall selection. They won’t pick within the top 10 during the 2025 NFL Draft.</p><p>General manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris still hold a first round pick within the top 20, though. Both men need to nail the No. 15 selection and the limited amount of ’25 picks to ensure Atlanta has a bright future ahead.</p><p>But the Falcons could still alter the draft. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/grading-espns-trade-proposal-kirk-cousins-titans-no-1-pick-browns">Atlanta trades Kirk Cousins</a> to the Tennessee Titans in one proposal. Even Dallas Cowboys star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/grading-espns-trade-proposal-micah-parsons-falcons-no-2-pick-cowboys">Micah Parsons got called a Falcons trade target</a> ahead of the draft.</p><p>Atlanta, though, stays pat at 15th overall in turning to the <a href="https://www.pff.com/draft/nfl-mock-draft-simulator?ref=1a96e9a4-e148-4387-a5de-ec09ebecfcfc" rel="noopener">Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator</a>. Fontenot and Morris rebuild the defense and hand Michael Penix Jr. a late weapon. Here are the five heading to Atlanta off the mock simulation.</p><h2><b>Round 1, Pick 15: S Malaki Starks, Georgia </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Malaki-Starks-Georgia.jpg"><figcaption>Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Falcons roll with a local star to launch their five-man draft. And lure in a long-awaited safety need.</p><p>Starks rises as the top safety of this draft class. Morris will love his high field IQ and versatility.</p><p>Morris thrived with versatile DBs before — a la Jalen Ramsey when he was Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator. But Atlanta finally lands an impact safety here while breaking out of its streak of taking offensive talent first.</p><h2><b>Round 2, Pick 46: Edge Landon Jackson, Arkansas </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Landon-Jackson-1.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Atlanta adds one more Southeastern Conference prospect. This time the NFL Combine star Jackson.</p><p>The towering <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/arkansas-star-sends-nfl-combine-group-into-frenzy-with-bonkers-vertical-feat">Arkansas edge rusher drew loud cheers for his vertical</a> in Indianapolis. He then blazed his 40-yard dash in 4.68.</p><p>The 6-foot-7 Jackson must improve his bend after getting past blockers. But the Falcons need to improve their pass rush after no one surpassed 6.5 sacks last year. Jackson can reignite the pass rush.</p><h2><b>Round 4, Pick 118: CB Nohl Williams, California </b></h2><p>The GM and head coach refuse to break off from addressing a defense that ranked 23rd in yards and scoring. They grab ball-hawking help in a big way.</p><p>Atlanta lands the nation’s leading interceptions leader out of Berkeley. Morris should especially love Williams’ film against Miami — which saw him pick off potential top overall pick Cam Ward despite the loss.</p><p>Williams’ 4.5 40 time shouldn’t scare off Morris, who’s a longtime DB coach. Morris rarely turns down pick kings. He gets one here in the fourth round.</p><h2><b>Round 7, Pick 218: DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Georgia </b></h2><p>See the trend here with Atlanta’s selections? Defensive rebuild is the theme.</p><p>Ingram-Dawkins is less experienced compared to his heralded Georgia defensive teammates. He’ll look undersized inside with his 276-pound frame.</p><p>But he brings a potential high-ceiling after running a 4.86 in Indy. His disruptive first step will attract Morris. The head coach and new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will need to teach him more hand moves to emerge as a possible sleeper pick.</p><h2><b>Round 7, Pick 242: WR LaJohntay Wester, Colorado </b></h2><p>The Falcons wrap up their draft by handing Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson, Drake London and company a new offensive addition. And one who built his own impressive resume in Boulder while in the shadow of Travis Hunter.</p><p>Wester bolsters the inside receiver room here. He possesses the top end speed to immediately stress safeties and linebackers in coverage. Wester even brings value as a punt return specialist.</p><p>Both his slot work and special teams background gives him a chance to make the final roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Atlanta Falcons 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/grading-espns-trade-proposal-micah-parsons-falcons-no-2-pick-cowboys');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading ESPN’s trade proposal that sends Micah Parsons to Falcons, No. 2 pick to Cowboys');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grading-ESPNs-3-team-trade-proposal-that-sends-Micah-Parsons-to-Falcons-No-2-pick-to-Cowboys.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading ESPN’s trade proposal that sends Micah Parsons to Falcons, No. 2 pick to Cowboys</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T11:37:37-07:00">March 31st, 11:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T11:37:37-07:00">March 31st, 11:37am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A blockbuster offseason NFL trade seems inevitable at this point. There could be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-gm-andrew-berry-makes-admission-on-potential-titans-trade">movement at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft</a>, and Dallas Cowboys’ star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-news-dallas-feels-about-micah-parsons-contract-talks">Micah Parsons has also heard his name involved in trade rumors</a>. ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/story/_/id/44427621/2025-nfl-mock-draft-all-trades-deals-32-round-1-picks-players-parsons-cousins" rel="noopener">predicted a three-team trade</a> involving the Cowboys, the Atlanta Falcons, and the team with the second overall pick, the Cleveland Browns. Does this deal make sense for all three parties, though? Here are the trade grades for each team involved in this hypothetical deal.</p><h2><b>Three-team trade details</b></h2><p><b>Cowboys get:</b> 1-2 (from Browns), 1-15, 2026 third-round pick (from Falcons)</p><p><b>Browns get:</b> 1-12. 5-149. 2026 fourth-round pick (from Cowboys), 2026 first-round pick (from Falcons)</p><p><b>Falcons get:</b> Edge Micah Parsons</p><h2><b>Cowboys trade grade after dumping Micah Parsons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Shedeur-Sanders-1.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Rondone-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In this exercise, the Cowboys ship Parsons off to Atlanta. Departing with one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/ranking-50-best-nfl-players-2024-season">best players in the NFL</a> would be no easy choice, but it might become a necessary one for the Cowboys. The four-time Pro Bowler could be in Defensive Player of the Year conversations for the next decade because he is only 25 years old.</p><p>However, the Cowboys have serious financial issues. CeeDee Lamb is one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/highest-paid-non-quarterbacks-nfl-history">highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL</a>, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/10-biggest-contracts-nfl-history-according-to-total-value">Dak Prescott’s deal has a higher average annual value</a> than anybody else in the NFL. Parsons will need a megadeal, too, and the Cowboys might not be able to pay him it before he hits free agency in 2026.</p><p>Dallas can’t risk losing him for nothing, so if they could net a huge return for the edge rusher, then it would make a lot of sense to ship him off. There just so happens to be a Parsons replacement at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft. With the number two overall pick the Cowboys receive from the Browns in this proposed trade, Dallas could select Abdul Carter.</p><p>Many consider the sack artist to be the best player in this draft class, and he has often been compared to Parsons for more reasons than just the fact that they both played their collegiate ball at Penn State. The Cowboys could also consider Shedeur Sanders with pick number two. Prescott’s hefty contract could incentivize the team to trade him, and there are ties to the Colorado quarterback because his coach/father, Deion Sanders, played for the Cowboys during his playing days. The elder<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-news-nick-saban-pumps-up-deion-sanders-dallas-rumors"> Sanders was even linked to Dallas</a> as a potential head coach before the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-news-dallas-hires-brian-schottenheimer-head-coach">promoted Brian Schottenheimer to that role</a>.</p><p>On top of that, the Cowboys would also get pick 15 and a future third-rounder from the Falcons. Dallas could add another building block piece with that second first-rounder. Having two potential stars on rookie deals would help Dallas’ cap situation monumentally. Another receiver, such as Tetairoa McMillan, Luther Burden, or Matthew Golden, could make sense with pick 15. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-rumors-dallas-prime-candidate-draft-ashton-jeanty-even-after-rb-addition">Cowboys have also been rumored to be interested in Ashton Jeanty</a>, and Jerry Jones snagging the top running back available would make a lot of sense.</p><p>Overall, there is no guarantee that prospects will come close to reaching the talent/production of Parsons, which makes this deal risky for the Cowboys. Still, this is a big trade haul that gives Dallas more options going forward. For that reason, they deserve a hypothetical trade grade of a B.</p><p><b>Grade: B</b></p><h2><b>Browns trade grade after adding future capital</b></h2><p>In theory, adding two first-round picks while only giving up one isn’t bad. Things are different with the pick the Browns would send off here because it is the second overall selection. The team<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/kenny-pickett-trade-grades-steelers-eagles-deal"> traded for Kenny Pickett</a> this offseason, and they still have Deshaun Watson on the roster. Neither is set up to be the quarterback of the future, and one of Cam Ward or Sanders will be available for the taking with pick two.</p><p>Franchise quarterbacks are not easy to come by, so the Browns would be better off keeping their selection and drafting a rookie signal-caller. If they were to move off of the pick, then this would be a nice haul. The 12th overall pick still holds great value, and the 2026 first-rounder they add could end up being near the top of the draft, too, considering the Falcons are rocking with a young quarterback – Michael Penix Jr. – next season.</p><p>With a fourth-round pick tossed in here, too, the Browns are getting almost as much back for a draft pick as the Cowboys are getting back for Parsons. With all of the quarterback issues they’ve had over the years, though, they just aren’t in the position to pass on one of the top gunslingers.</p><p><b>Grade: C+</b></p><h2><b>Falcons trade grade after adding Micah Parsons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Micah-Parsons-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While it would cost the Falcons a pretty penny to trade for Parsons, the star pass rusher would be well worth it. Parsons already has quite the resume. The three-time All-Pro already has 52.5 career sacks, yet he is the age of some players who will be a rookie next season.</p><p>He is one of the best sack artists in the league, but he also does so much more than just pass-rushing. The uber-versatile defender is great against the run, and we’ve even seen him thrive when dropping back into pass coverage. Parsons can line up all over the defensive front and thrive no matter where he is.</p><p>Parsons could be the face of the Falcons for years to come, and he fits Penix’s timeline. The Falcons were in playoff contention for most of last season, and they expect a developmental leap from Penix. Parsons is the player who could get them over the hump. If he does, then their 2026 first-rounder that is being sent to the Cowboys in this deal might be near the end of the round.</p><p><b>Grade: B+</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading ESPN’s trade proposal that sends Micah Parsons to Falcons, No. 2 pick to Cowboys

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/grading-espns-trade-proposal-kirk-cousins-titans-no-1-pick-browns');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading ESPN’s trade proposal that sends Kirk Cousins to Titans, No. 1 pick to Browns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GRADING-ESPNS-TRADE-PROPOSAL-THAT-SENDS-KIRK-COUSINS-TO-TITANS-NO.-1-PICK-TO-BROWNS.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading ESPN’s trade proposal that sends Kirk Cousins to Titans, No. 1 pick to Browns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T10:28:17-07:00">March 31st, 10:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T10:28:17-07:00">March 31st, 10:28am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NFL offseason has been filled with trade rumors. While looking less and less likely—due to stand-out <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tennessee-titans/titans-news-cam-ward-work-out-amid-no-1-pick-buzz">pre-draft performances by Cam Ward</a>—there is still a chance that the Tennessee Titans will trade the first overall pick. Likewise, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/nfl-rumors-1-sneaky-hint-falcons-could-trade-kirk-cousins">Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons has continuously been thrown around in trade proposals</a>. ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/story/_/id/44427621/2025-nfl-mock-draft-all-trades-deals-32-round-1-picks-players-parsons-cousins" rel="noopener">predicted a trade</a> that included the number one pick and the veteran quarterback, as well as assets belonging to the Cleveland Browns. Is it a fair hypothetical deal for all three teams? Here are the trade grades for each team.</p><h2><b>Hypothetical trade proposal</b></h2><p><b>Titans get:</b> 1-2, 3-67, 2026 second-round pick (from Browns), QB Kirk Cousins (from Falcons, with cash considerations)</p><p><b>Falcons get:</b> 2026 seventh-round pick (from Titans)</p><p><b>Browns get:</b> 1-1, 2026 sixth-round pick (from Titans)</p><h2><b>Trade grade for Titans after adding Kirk Cousins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/KIRK-COUSINS-1-1.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In this hypothetical trade, the Titans move back only one pick, yet they add the very next draft pick, a starting quarterback in the form of Cousins, and additional draft capital in the process. On the surface, that is pretty good trade value. However, all reports have signaled that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tennessee-titans/titans-rumors-no-1-pick-dilemma-cam-ward-private-workout">Tennessee is becoming infatuated with Ward</a>, and this trade means that they would almost certainly lose out on the chance to draft him. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-rumors-cleveland-zeroes-in-on-no-2-pick-if-cam-ward-is-unavailable">Browns would likely select Ward</a> with their new pick at the top of the draft.</p><p>Cousins would be the new signal-caller in Tennessee. The quarterback has tons of experience and production at a high level, but he simply wasn’t the same player post-achilles tear last season with the Falcons. The 36-year-old struggled with mobility inside of the pocket in the first year of a four-year, $180 million deal. He also led the league with 16 interceptions.</p><p>Prior to that, Cousins was playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in 2023 before suffering his injury, and he was a 4,000-yard passer in seven of the eight seasons before that. Considering his age and injury history, it doesn’t seem like Cousins will ever return to past form, though, and that ties the Titans to a huge contract for three more years with this hypothetical trade.</p><p>In theory, the Titans could draft Shedeur Sanders to be the quarterback of the future with the number two pick, but we already saw how the strategy of having a rookie quarterback learning behind Cousins as a bridge option worked out. The Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall last season, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-breaks-silence-after-benching">they benched Cousins</a> in favor of him late in the season. Now Atlanta is stuck in a bind. That even goes without mentioning that Cousins doesn’t want a young quarterback taking his place again, so he’d likely use his <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/browns-kirk-cousins-wont-waive-153717568.html" rel="noopener">no-trade clause</a> if the Titans planned on drafting a quarterback as his heir apparent.</p><p>Overall, this is solid trade value to move back only one draft slot, especially considering the team would add additional second and third-round picks. Cousins’ regressing play and bad contract, combined with missing out on the chance to draft Ward, is what holds back the trade grade here, though. Ward has sky-high potential, and the Titans can’t afford to pass on their potential quarterback of the future.</p><p><b>Grade: C+</b></p><h2><b>Trade grade for Falcons after moving off of Kirk Cousins</b></h2><p>The Falcons only add one draft pick in this hypothetical deal, and it is only a seventh-rounder in 2026. Even so, the team wouldn’t complain at all. Getting off of Cousins’ contract alone is a positive. Plus, this would eliminate the locker room drama of having two signal-callers who think that they should start for their team.</p><p>Penix deserves to have his team’s full support going forward, and trading away Cousins would prove that he does. Atlanta would be unlikely to find anyone of value with the seventh-round pick they add here, but it is better than nothing. Sometimes, accepting a mistake and correcting it is the correct course of action. The Falcons would be smart to cut their losses from the Cousins deal sooner rather than later.</p><p><b>Grade: B+</b></p><h2><b>Trade grade for Browns after adding the number one pick</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CAM-WARD-1-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It isn’t quite clear what the Browns will do in the 2025 NFL Draft. They’ve been linked to Sanders as well as defensive players Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter, but recent reports suggest that they might prefer Ward. If that is the case, then trading up and selecting “their guy” is the smart move. Adding a second and third-round pick to a trade involving the number two overall selection would be well worth it if Ward becomes a franchise signal-caller, especially considering the Browns have struggled with quarterback play for most of the 21st century.</p><p>Settling for who most consider to be the second-best quarterback with the second overall pick is risky, especially considering all of Cleveland’s recent quarterback blunders. Going all in on the top quarterback makes too much sense.</p><p>Ward is 6-foot-3, 233 pounds. He threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns in a season where he finished third in Heisman voting last season. The Miami product with five years of collegiate experience has Ben Roethlisberger-like potential, and Cleveland would be thrilled if he became anything close to the player that their long-time Pittsburgh Steelers rival was during his playing days.</p><p><b>Grade: A-</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading ESPN’s trade proposal that sends Kirk Cousins to Titans, No. 1 pick to Browns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/why-falcons-hc-raheem-morris-missed-annual-nfl-head-coaches-photo');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Falcons HC Raheem Morris missed annual NFL head coaches photo');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Falcons-news-Why-Raheem-Morris-missed-annual-NFL-head-coaches-photo.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Falcons HC Raheem Morris missed annual NFL head coaches photo</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-30T21:28:24-07:00">March 30th, 9:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-30T21:29:31-07:00">March 30th, 9:29pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As is tradition, the NFL hosted its annual owners meetings, which began on Sunday and will go until Wednesday, April 2. In these meetings, NFL owners and coaches congregate to discuss potential rule changes, like maybe <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-rumors-momentum-growing-potential-tush-push-ban">banning the Tush Push</a>, as well as other topics that require league-wide discussion. That could be about discussing tactics to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-news-roger-goodell-8-game-international-plan">grow the game internationally</a>, ways of creating a better on-field product, and much more. However, one of the best parts of the NFL owners meetings is the annual photo of all 32 head coaches. Unfortunately, there were only 31 coaches in the 2025 edition, as Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1906461637512405304" rel="noopener">wasn’t present for the photo</a>, per Adam Schefter on X.</p><p>“Atlanta’s Raheem Morris is the only head coach not pictured,” Schefter wrote. “He had not arrived yet.”</p><p>This is what Schefter wrote underneath where he posted the annual photo. Well, at least the ones who showed up on time.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">2025: NFL annual head coaches photo, Palm Beach, Fla.</p><p>📸 <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLprguy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLprguy</a> <a href="https://t.co/v7FJ5Ut4hL">pic.twitter.com/v7FJ5Ut4hL</a></p><p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1906460424339390608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Other coaches have missed the annual head coaches photo, but the reasoning for Morris’ absence is a bit odd. Not only is the absence itself abnormal, but Schefter posting it right under the photo was a jab by the NFL insider. Maybe Schefter is upset about not knowing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/nfl-rumors-1-sneaky-hint-falcons-could-trade-kirk-cousins">what’s happening with Kirk Cousins and the Falcons</a>. Who knows? But, it was similarly both odd and silly that Schefter outed Morris like that on his X account with 11.5 million followers.</p><p>The post explaining why Raheem Morris missed the head coaches photo got nearly 500,000 views at the time of this article’s posting, which has to be a bit embarrassing for the Falcons’ head coach.</p><p>However, the photo op is one of the least important parts of the NFL owners meetings, even if it brings out some of the best content.</p><h2><b>Annual NFL head coaches photo is crucial part of owners meetings</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Andy-Reid.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For those who follow Barstool Big Cat online, he does a yearly blog of this photo specifically. It was <a href="https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/37002/trestman-crushed-picture-day-at-the-coachs-convention-ranking-the-best-and-worst-of-the-nfl-coachs-photo" rel="noopener">an idea he started in 2013</a>, and he’s kept it alive for longer than a decade.</p><p>Others might have their rendition of this blog series, but Big Cat does an impeccable job of turning a photo into something that NFL fans look forward to all year.</p><p>For the fans who don’t know what this is, Big Cat goes through the photo, honoring each coach with a prestigious — and specific — award. It might sound a little confusing, but here’s an excerpt from <a href="https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/37002/trestman-crushed-picture-day-at-the-coachs-convention-ranking-the-best-and-worst-of-the-nfl-coachs-photo" rel="noopener">Big Cat’s blog</a> on the 2025 NFL annual head coaches photo:</p><p>“The ‘This Must Be Brian Schottenheimer Because People Forget Brian Schottenheimer Is The Coach Of The Cowboys Now And If I Had To Guess Who Brian Schottenheimer Is It Would Be This Guy’ – Brian Schottenheimer,” Big Cat wrote, presenting the Cowboys’ head coach with a one-of-one award.</p><p>So, even if the Dallas Cowboys win nothing in 2025, Schottenheimer can remember the award Big Cat presented him following the 2025 NFL annual head coaches photo.</p><p>Unfortunately for Raheem Morris, he missed his easiest chance of an award in the 2025 season as the Falcons’ head coach. Now, if he wants to walk away with any award from 2025, he’ll have to earn it on the field.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Falcons HC Raheem Morris missed annual NFL head coaches photo

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/atlanta-falcons/nfl-rumors-1-sneaky-hint-falcons-could-trade-kirk-cousins');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: 1 sneaky hint Falcons could still trade Kirk Cousins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1-sneaky-hint-Falcons-could-still-trade-Kirk-Cousins.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: 1 sneaky hint Falcons could still trade Kirk Cousins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-30T11:02:43-07:00">March 30th, 11:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-30T11:02:43-07:00">March 30th, 11:02am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the biggest questions of the 2025 offseason for the Atlanta Falcons has been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-trade-proposal-lands-kirk-cousins-falcons-rumors">what to do about quarterback Kirk Cousins</a>, who saw his play fall off of a cliff down the stretch of last season and was ultimately <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-rumors-atlanta-blindside-kirk-cousins-michael-penix-jr">benched for Michael Penix Jr.</a> Many have speculated that the Falcons could be in the market to look for a trade partner for Cousins, but others have thought they might opt to keep the veteran around as a backup for Penix.</p><p>Recently, Mike Florio of NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk broke down some of the options that Atlanta has <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/lack-of-a-kirk-cousins-restructuring-keeps-a-trade-firmly-on-the-table" rel="noopener">regarding the veteran quarterback.</a></p><p>“The Cousins contract has a provision allowing the Falcons to automatically restructure the deal, whenever they want. They have not yet exercised that right,” reported Florio. “Doing so would create up to $20.996 million in 2025 cap space, by reducing his salary from $27.5 million to $1.255 million, paying the difference as a bonus, and spreading it over five years.”</p><p>Florio then broke down what the Falcons’ approach would likely be if they were serious about trading Cousins.</p><p>“If they’re serious about keeping Cousins for 2025, it would make sense to create another $20 million in cap space. If they’re thinking about trading him, it would make no sense; not only would they pay him a $26.245 million signing bonus (instead of sending his $27.5 million salary to a new team) but they would also absorb a much larger cap hit when trading him,” reported Florio.</p><h2>A<b> big decision for the Falcons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cousins-warms-up.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The only saving grace for the Falcons down the stretch of the 2024-25 season was that Michael Penix Jr. performed well, especially for a rookie being thrown into the first of an NFL postseason hunt.</p><p>Still, that didn’t absolve the team of the unmitigated disaster that the Cousins signing turned out to be, a move that was almost universally criticized after it was unearthed that Atlanta had also used their first round draft pick on a quarterback instead of improving other aspects of the roster.</p><p>Florio noted that Cousins does have the ability to call off any trade, but also pointed out that “if his choice ultimately becomes waiving it and playing or not waiving it and sitting, why not waive it?”</p><p>In any case, the Falcons will look to resolve this situation sooner rather than later.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: 1 sneaky hint Falcons could still trade Kirk Cousins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/bill-belichick-jordon-hudson-trolls-falcons-patriots-super-bowl');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Belichick’s girlfriend Jordon Hudson trolls Falcons over Patriots Super Bowl');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Bill-Belichicks-girlfriend-Jordon-Hudson-trolls-Falcons-over-Patriots-Super-Bowl.jpg"></figure><h1>Bill Belichick’s girlfriend Jordon Hudson trolls Falcons over Patriots Super Bowl</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T09:13:58-07:00">March 29th, 9:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T09:19:26-07:00">March 29th, 9:19am</time><address><a>Autumn Hawkins</a>Autumn Hawkins is an Associate Entertainment Editor at ClutchPoints. She enjoys writing about music, lifestyle, film, and television. When she's not writing, she is trying the newest makeup trend, reading a romance novel, or planning her next trip. She is also a proud member of the BeyHive.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Bill Belichick’s girlfriend is not holding back. The former New England Patriots head coach’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, began trolling the Atlanta Falcons on Friday (March 28).</p><p>The 24-year-old posted on her Instagram Story, “Happy 3-28 to those who celebrate,” with a photo of she and Belichick.</p><p>Every March 28, the Patriots celebrate their victory over the Falcons since during halftime at the 2017 Super Bowl they were down 3-28. However, in the second half, their momentum kicked up and they beat the Falcons 34-28. At the time, the team was led by Tom Brady and it is still the biggest comeback in NFL history.</p><p>Belichick coached for the Patriots for 24 seasons and won six Super Bowls.</p><h2>Jordon Hudson Defends Relationship With Bill Belichick</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Bill-Belichick-and-Jordon-Hudson.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Hudson and Belichick have been dating 2023. They met in 2021 and exchanged phone numbers while they were still sitting next to one another on a flight. While their love story began very simple, they have faced a lot of srunity from the public after the masses found out about their relationship.  Most recently, the former cheerleader had to put a fan in place after they spoke negatively about their romance due to their age gap. Hudson is currently 24 and Belichick is 72.</p><p>While Belichick and Hudson were enjoying date night last month, a user named Abby Riley commented on Hudson’s Instagram Story “But you do realize your <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/15/sports/jordon-hudson-claps-back-at-critic-of-her-relationship-with-bill-belichick/" rel="noopener">relationship is insane right</a>” in a reply.</p><p>Hudson responded, “But you do realize direct messaging a stranger on Instagram with the intent of harassing them regarding their own personal relationship is insane, right?”</p><p>The former cheerleader even took it a step further and created a poll on the post.</p><p>“Which is poorer?” Hudson asked her followers to vote on the options “Abby’s Manners” and “Abby’s Punctuation Skills.”</p><p>It’s not only fans that are mocking the age gap between Belichick and Hudson. During the NFL Honors ceremony last month, Hudson’s age was a punchline in Snoop Dogg’s monologue.</p><p>“I’ve been a football fan for a long, long time. I mean, I remember back when the [Dallas] Cowboys was good. I remember back when the [Kansas City] Chiefs was bad,” the rapper said during the February 6 awards show. “And I remember when, what was it, Bill Belichick’s girlfriend wasn’t even born yet.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Bill Belichick's girlfriend wasn't even born yet." <a href="https://twitter.com/SnoopDogg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SnoopDogg</a> didn't hold back in his opening monologue 😅 <a href="https://t.co/xJ7Fh8isvX">pic.twitter.com/xJ7Fh8isvX</a></p><p>— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1887685988681482496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Unlike other incidents, the private couple did not look upset at Snoop’s joke.</p><p>While Hudson doesn’t have time to answer every hateful message from fans, during her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGEiSclPlnN/?hl=en" rel="noopener">Valentine’s Day tribute</a> to Belicheck, she called out those who<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/bill-belichicks-jordon-hudson-fires-back-relationship-accusation" rel="noopener"> constantly speak on her relationship.</a> “There is no objective criteria for what constitutes someone’s worthiness of love,” she wrote in the caption of a photo of the two. “We do not need to justify ‘why’ we love a particular person.The ways in which we develop our biological preferences are deeply personal in which we owe no justification nor explanation.”</p><p>“Love does not discriminate against sex, skin color, religion, age, or ability,” she continued. “Love does not fluctuate along with someone’s body weight. … Love is not to be judged. It is never okay to harass or abuse a person based upon who they love.”</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bill Belichick’s girlfriend Jordon Hudson trolls Falcons over Patriots Super Bowl

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-trade-proposal-lands-kirk-cousins-falcons-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Browns trade proposal lands Kirk Cousins as Falcons rumors intensify');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Browns-trade-proposal-lands-Kirk-Cousins-as-Falcons-rumors-intensify.jpg"></figure><h1>Browns trade proposal lands Kirk Cousins as Falcons rumors intensify</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-26T10:41:57-07:00">March 26th, 10:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T10:41:57-07:00">March 26th, 10:41am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A lot of the quarterback puzzle pieces have already fallen into place this offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-seattle-sam-darnold-agree-massive-100-million-contract">Sam Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks</a> to be their signal-caller after they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-shocking-geno-smith-trade-seahawks">traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders</a>. Additionally, Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson will battle it out for the New York Giants starting gig, and fellow ex-Pittsburgh Steeler Justin Fields is taking Aaron Rodgers’ spot for the other team that plays at MetLife Stadium, the New York Jets. One of the few unknowns at the quarterback position for next season is Kirk Cousins’ next home.</p><p>Cousins was signed to a <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/_/id/9915/kirk-cousins" rel="noopener">four-year, $180 million deal</a> by the Atlanta Falcons ahead of last season, which signaled that he’d be the team’s long-term quarterback. They surprisingly drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft after that, though, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-benches-kirk-cousins-favor-of-michael-penix-jr">Penix ended up taking Cousins’ starting spot</a> by season’s end. Now, the Falcons are ready to find a new home for Cousins, and the Cleveland Browns might be an ideal trading partner. So, is there a trade proposal that makes sense for both sides?</p><h2><b>Browns’ trade proposal for Kirk Cousins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25046501_168404029_lowres.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><b>Browns receive: </b>Kirk Cousins</p><p><b>Falcons receive: </b>2026 fifth-round pick</p><p>The Browns are one of a couple of teams without a clear-cut starting quarterback for 2025. Most would assume that they will draft a franchise gunslinger in the 2025 NFL Draft. They hold possession of the second overall choice, meaning they can pick between either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, whichever the Tennessee Titans don’t take at the top of the draft.</p><p>It isn’t set in stone that the Browns will go quarterback at pick two, though. The team<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/grading-myles-garrett-160-million-browns-contract-extension-after-trade-request"> signed Myles Garrett</a> to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/highest-paid-non-quarterbacks-nfl-history">largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history</a> under the premise that they will compete for Super Bowls sooner rather than later. Young quarterbacks often struggle early on in their careers, so the Browns might want a veteran quarterback to start for them next season.</p><p>While Cousins had a down season with the Falcons last year, particularly with his league-leading 16 interceptions, he isn’t far removed from being one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. He was dominant before going down to an achilles injury in 2023, and he threw for 4,000-plus yards in seven of the eight seasons before that. A change of scenery is necessary, but Cousins might still have something left in the tank.</p><p>A Cousins trade wouldn’t prevent the Browns from drafting the quarterback of the future, either. Cousins is 36 years old, so he is probably best off in a bridge role. The issue with this idea is that Cousins was clearly not happy with the Falcons’ decision to draft Penix as the future of his position, and he was vindicated when the Falcons gave Penix his job.</p><p>Now, Cousins is waiting to be traded until after the NFL Draft, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-rumors-atlanta-blindside-kirk-cousins-michael-penix-jr">he doesn’t want to be blindsided again</a>. The quarterback has a no-trade clause in his contract, so a deal to Cleveland likely wouldn’t happen until after the draft, especially considering they are in the running to pick a quarterback.</p><p>Deshaun Watson and Kenny Pickett are the two quarterbacks of note on Cleveland’s roster as of now. The Watson experience has been a nightmare for the Browns, and although it is unlikely, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/steelers-pittsburgh-trade-proposal-deshaun-watson-browns">they’d like to trade him</a> if possible. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-news-deshaun-watson-suffers-achilles-injury-recovery-setback">Watson is expected to miss the 2025 season</a> after re-rupturing his achilles tendon. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-philadelphia-ships-kenny-pickett-browns-backup-qb-trade">Pickett was an offseason trade addition,</a> but he is probably best off in reserve duty.</p><h2><b>Should the Falcons hold onto Kirk Cousins?</b></h2><p>NFL teams don’t want unneeded distractions in their quarterback rooms, especially when they are handing the reins of leading their franchise forward to a young player. Therefore, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-rumors-insider-lays-out-kirk-cousins-trade-scenario">trading Cousins is a necessity for the Falcons</a>, especially because the veteran wants out of Atlanta and likely doesn’t have much interest in further mentoring his successor now that Penix has already leapfrogged him on the depth chart.</p><p>Penix didn’t stand out in his three games starting for the Falcons, but the fact that Atlanta decided to promote him despite their being in the playoff race shows just how much they believe in the Washington product. After all, they did draft him eighth overall over fellow signal-callers J.J. McCarthy and Box Nix.</p><p>Penix had three touchdown passes and three interceptions in his three starts as a rookie. The team needs him to take the next step forward as they vie for a playoff spot in 2025.</p><p>While Cousins’ contract is large, and the team would certainly like to move off of it, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-contract-very-tradable-per-nfl-insider">it is also a very tradable contract</a>. Cousins won’t net a massive trade return, though. He is only getting older, and his down season is worrisome for potential trade partners, especially considering most players are never the same after an Achilles tear. The Falcons would be more than happy if they could get a future fifth-round pick back for Cousins; they just have to navigate trading him to a place that he wants to be, considering he holds all of the power with his no-trade clause.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
RUSHING YDS	RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOTAL TDS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	0	-

2024 SEASON STATS
RUSHING YDS	RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOTAL TDS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	0	-

Avery
Williams

2022 Projected vs Actual Pts

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Avery
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