Terry

Fontenot

Well, yeah. Marcus Mariota and Feleipe Franks are the only quarterbacks on Atlanta’s roster at the moment. The Falcons haven’t been tied to a quarterback at eighth overall all that often, but it has to at least be on the table. They also hold No. 43 and could wind up with someone like Sam Howell or Desmond Ridder. “We spent a lot of time with this QB class,’ Fontenot added.

Bair said Atlanta taking a wideout in the first round would likely depend on whether the team retains Calvin Ridley and re-signs Russell Gage. Bair mentioned Arkansas WR Treylon Burks as a potential pick for the Falcons -- an odd choice considering Burks is widely expected to be the fifth or sixth receiver off the draft board. With a plethora of roster holes, the Falcons could use their first rounder on a number of positions, including offensive tackle, edge rusher, and cornerback.

Smith and Fontenot were reportedly not in agreement with how to handle the No. 4 pick. They seem to have worked out their differences, though we still have no idea whether they’ll trade the pick for a king’s ransom or use it to draft a QB or Kyle Pitts. Smith reportedly believes Matt Ryan has some good years left in the tank, indicating Smith might be opposed to drafting Ryan’s heir apparent this spring. A passing attack headlined by Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, and Pitts would be frightening.

It’s not exactly a stunning admission, but it confirms that the Falcons are rightfully thinking about life after Matt Ryan, who will be 36 in May. Ryan, who is signed through the 2023 season, will count for $40.9 million against the salary cap in 2021, making him an unlikely cut candidate even if the Falcons draft his eventual replacement with the fourth pick in this spring’s NFL Draft. “You always bring in quarterbacks,” Fontenot said. “You need to bring in quarterbacks, whether it’s in the draft, whether it’s in free agency, or signing guys off the street. It’s so important, bring in quarterbacks a lot, build strengths.” Atlanta could sign a serviceable backup for Ryan if they don’t take a QB with their No. 4 pick. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, and Tyrod Taylor are among this offseason’s free agent signal callers.

Fontenot, who spent the past 18 years with the Saints and just finished his first season as the team’s vice president/assistant general manager for pro personnel, will take over as Atlanta’s GM after interviewing with several teams, including the Lions and Jaguars. Fontenot will play an outsized role in determining the Falcons’ future at quarterback with Matt Ryan, 36 in May, entering what will likely be his final years in the league.

This builds on reports that Smith is the frontrunner for the Falcons job. Smith has interviewed twice with Atlanta and cancelled his second interview with the Lions. All signs point to a deal getting done between the sides. The Falcons are expected to pair Smith with Saints VP Terry Fontenot as their general manager.

The Falcons first interviewed Fontenot in mid-December and clearly haven’t looked back. Although a deal can’t officially be finalized until New Orleans’ postseason run comes to an end, Fontenot is expected to put pen to paper the instant he’s allowed to. Panthers OC Joe Brady is also reportedly Fontenot’s first choice as head coach.

Fontenot also had a second interview with the Broncos on Tuesday. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports he remains a “strong candidate” to replace Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta. Fontenot has also spoken with the Lions.

Brady, 31, looks like the favorite to land the Atlanta job after one season as coordinator of Carolina’s offense. The Panthers’ offense didn’t exactly blow away opponents but the unit was hamstrung by the absence of Christian McCaffrey and the painfully evident limitations of Teddy Bridgewater at QB. Meanwhile, Fontenot, who spent seven seasons as a pro scout and another seven seasons as director of pro scouting for the Saints, has helped build one of the NFL’s best overall rosters in New Orleans. Brady and Fontenot would be a formidable, forward-looking duo for the Falcons.

Fontenot has been one of the hotter GM candidates, drawing interest from the Falcons and Detroit. The Broncos are casting a wide net in their search to replace John Elway, with Patriots assistant director of player personnel Dave Ziegler and in-house director of college scouting Brian Stark expected to meet with the team. Vikings VP of player personnel George Paton and Chicago’s Champ Kelly have also interviewed for Denver’s GM job.