FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Falcons will take the field for their first training camp practice in just one week, beginning a long journey they hope will end with a trip to the postseason.
Any playoff hopeful knows the importance of developing a strong team identity. Those identities are often formed around the skills and intangibles of a team's best players. If the Falcons are going to make good on their plans for a playoff push, they will need to lean on some crucial young members of their roster.
Building a team that sustains excellence means planning for more than just the immediate future, though. It's about balancing short-term success with long-term priorities. Players who fit into both buckets are the true cornerstones of an organization, and that's who we are here to discuss today.
With training camp knocking on the door, let's take a minute to discuss which player is more central to Atlanta's vision for the present and future than any other.
Tori McElhaney: Bijan Robinson.
There's just something about the possibilities someone like Robinson presents heading into his second year in the league. However, I think there has become a misconception about the Falcons' offensive plans to run the ball in 2024.
During OTAs this spring, we heard from all the receivers about how much the Falcons are planning to air the ball out with Kirk Cousins in the pocket. Players like Drake London and Darnell Mooney have made it no secret that they're excited, to say the least. Many have dug into the Sean McVay, Rams-inspired system that offensive coordinator Zac Robinson comes from for an idea of what to expect. It's an offense that has seen Matthew Stafford put up passing numbers very few in the league have reached. It's created stars in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. So, yes, with the Falcons spending the money they did to get Cousins in the building as well as adding speedy receivers around London, it makes sense why people would feel the way they do about the Falcons' direction.
Make no mistake about it, though: The Falcons' offensive bread and butter is still putting the ball in the arms of Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to run through the holes someone like Chris Lindstrom provides.
For the last two years, the Falcons have had one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league to go along with two talented backs. That doesn't change even with a new scheme installed. If anything, a more consistent pass game should only take the pressure off the run game as the Falcons had the fourth-most rush attempts with eight or more box defenders in 2023.
So, enter Robinson in Year 2.
We saw what he did last year. Heck, even Madden took note.
And even in a changing offense, Robinson is still someone the Falcons will rely heavily on in 2024 and the next few years to come. Raheem Morris was the one who made that clear when asked about fine-tuning Robinson's role in 2024.
"In as simple of a form as you can possibly make it, (the goal is to) get the ball to Bijan as much as you can and in as many ideal situations that you possibly can," Morris said. "For him, he's so talented. You don't want to limit the things that he can do, but you also don't want to water it down so much that he's not doing anything that he can do great. When you get the ball in his hand, he makes people miss, he gets extra yards, he's able to fight for extra yards, he breaks tackles, he's fast, he's explosive, he's strong. He can do so many things that you can get overwhelmed sometimes, maybe as a play-caller or even as a designer.
"For him, I really think he enjoys the whole process. I think he compared himself to that Christian McCaffrey role. If we can get anywhere near the great player that Christian McCaffrey is, I think we'll all be excited."
Will McFadden: Chris Lindstrom.
I'll be honest, it wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be to answer this question. That nobody immediately jumped out is slightly concerning for a team that has picked in the top 10 for the last four drafts, but we've seen how dependent even the best skill players are on the quarterback position so that makes it hard to label them "foundational."
You know who doesn't rely on anybody else to get the job done? Lindstrom. When he was selected with the No. 14 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Lindstrom was in the discussion for best interior offensive linemen in the class. In five seasons, he's developed into one of the best interior linemen in the game.
Lindstrom is a world-class run blocker who blends an innate feel for angles with flawless contact balance to open up first- and second-level holes. In pass protection, he handles both speed and power fairly well and looks for work when no immediate danger presents itself. Heading into Year 6, Lindstrom has been reliable and is firmly in the prime of his career.
Guard is not a premier position in this league, but Lindstrom is the kind of presence who makes the players flanking him better. The best teams are usually strong in the trenches, and Lindstrom is always going to give Atlanta a good starting point for the offensive line while he's around.
It may not be a flashy pick, but if we're talking about foundational pieces to build around, Lindstrom is the clear choice to me.
Terrin Waack: Kirk Cousins.
You don't offer someone a four-year, $180 million contact without planning to make him the main attraction. Cousins was the Falcons' blockbuster deal of the offseason.
Besides, how many times this offseason did either head coach Raheem Morris or general manager Terry Fontenot say quarterback is the most important position not just in football but all of sports? Honestly, I didn't count. But it certainly felt like a lot.
The Falcons know firsthand how important it is to have consistent play at quarterback — because they've lacked it. They've been cycling through men behind center since trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, and that way of play hasn't worked. So, the hope is Cousins is will right that wrong.
Cousins' history shows he can be that guy, too. Between 2015-22, Cousins only missed two games, and during that time frame, he completed 67.5% of his passes for an average of 266.5 yards and 1.8 touchdowns per game. He was on track to start every game in 2023, too, until a Week 8 injury ruined those chances. Through eight weeks, though, Cousins led all NFL quarterbacks with 18 touchdowns, and he was No. 2 in passing yards (2,331) and No. 5 in completion percentage (69.5%).
That's why the Falcons invested so much in Cousins.
Also, if you listen to the Falcons Final Whistle podcast, you already know who I equate the quarterback to: Rudolph. Yes, it's another Waack analogy. Cousins is Rudolph. He leads the sleigh, the other reindeer are his teammates, and that just leaves Morris as Santa, dictating the flight's direction.
Obviously Rudolph is the most important piece. He literally lights and leads the way. He has an entire Christmas song and story dedicated to him.
Cousins is the Falcons' Rudolph.
Amna Subhan: Michael Penix Jr.
I know, I know. Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback for right now, but I'm putting extra emphasis on the "building" part of the question. The Falcons have been very clear since they drafted Penix No. 8 overall in April — Cousins is the present and Penix is the future.
Block by block, Penix is building to one day be the Falcons' starting quarterback. That process begins now. So far through rookie minicamp and offseason practices, the Falcons' staff had been impressed with the young quarterback from his football abilities to his character.
"One thing I've noticed about Mike is he's always watching, he's always observing," offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. "He might not have to directly ask the question, but just by him watching Kirk do something he can pick up so much information."
While the Falcons have built this season's offense around Cousins as the current foundational piece — as Terrin outlined above — it also lends to how they eventually want Penix to lead the offense. It helps that the two quarterbacks have similar play styles.
"This was a guy that plays very similar to Kirk," quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates said. "As far as the future down the road, that's a transition that's going to be extremely seamless running the exact same offense."
The Falcons' front office understood the optics when they took Penix. They didn't make that pick lightly; they made that choice so they could build a future around him.
