Falcons Big Offseason Decision: Draft QB or Ride with Ridder?
The Atlanta Falcons woke up today after a hard-fought 7-10 season, the same record as a year ago, culminating with a two-game winning streak against the Arizona Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 30-17 win on Sunday also brought a close to the Desmond Ridder audition for starting quarterback. The victory on Sunday meant Ridder finished with a 2-2 record under center and will now leave it in the hands of the Falcons' front office as to whether or not he gets a shot at being the full-time starter.
After sitting behind free agent signing Marcus Mariota for the first 13 games before the Falcons switched to Ridder.
"We needed to see what he could do," Arthur Smith said. "[He] played against some of the top defenses, two on the road, two at home."
And what did he see from his rookie?
"I'd argue as the games went on, he got better. Very encouraged by watching him in pressure moments," Smith stated.
The win against the Buccaneers meant the Falcons will have the No. 8 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Looking at the teams ahead of them, there are a few teams that could go quarterback in the first round. But even if the opportunity comes around and the Falcons have a choice to make about taking a quarterback, one could argue they have bigger needs. Like, adding a top-tier pass rusher.
If Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot decide to rock with Ridder and it doesn't work out, it could cost them their jobs; the same thing with drafting a rookie.
In his four games, Ridder completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards and two touchdowns, both coming against the Buccaneers. Other than a fumble, Ridder did not turn the ball over, something that hurt Mariota. And while he didn't put up the flashy numbers, he was efficient and did what the Falcons needed him to.
The rookie certainly made a strong case to see what he can do long-term, but is leaving it up the coaches.
"Yeah, I mean that's not my call," Ridder said. "I'm going to go out there and play my game and do what I do. At the end of the day, I don't care about stats, I don't care about what it looks like. I want to win - that's who I am as a person; I want to be a winner, want to be a competitor."
This offseason could prove to be a defining moment of the rebuild for the Falcons, with it all starting with the decision at quarterback.
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