LISTEN: How Should Falcons Replace A.J. McCarron?

After the Atlanta Falcons lost to the Miami Dolphins Saturday night, reality began to set in that backup quarterback A.J. McCarron's injury would sideline him for the rest of the season.

A torn ACL seemed likely at the time of injury, and an MRI confirmed that news Sunday.

The team has a few options in how it can look to replace McCarron.

The Falcons could promote their third-string quarterback, rookie Feleipe Franks, to Matt Ryan's primary backup. Franks was four of nine for 46 yards and a touchdown following McCarron's injury Saturday. While it would be the status quo to stick with who has been running with the team in camp, Franks is an undrafted rookie and an injury away from being the only option under center, which is a lot of responsibility and a risk to hand the keys to someone that inexperienced.

The team could look elsewhere and trade for another quarterback, perhaps someone that is familiar with the Falcons or head coach Arthur Smith's former team - the Tennessee Titans. Both Kurt Benkert of the Green Bay Packers and Logan Woodside of the Titans fit that bill.

Behind the third door is a free-agent veteran option. Josh Rosen, a former top 10 draft pick, was recently released by the San Francisco 49ers and could figure into the backup role. Ryan Finley, who was released by the Houston Texans earlier this offseason, has started four games for the Cincinnati Bengals in the past two seasons.

None of these options sound super appealing, but a contingency plan is needed in case Ryan goes down and the team must act fast.

On this episode of "Locked On Falcons," host Aaron Freeman breaks down what the Falcons will do next to replace McCarron as the team's backup quarterback.

He then discusses the ongoing competitions for various depth spots on the offense and then discusses if Jalen Mayfield is on the path to start Wek 1 at left guard.

Towards the end of the show, he looks at the defensive roster battles, focusing on the depth at inside linebacker, cornerback, and safety to see which players are poised to make the team's final roster.

Aaron deals with all that and more on this episode of "Locked On Falcons." For more podcasts and information, join us here.

CONTINUE READING: Falcons Injury Update: AJ McCarron Out for Season

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