Falcons once again butt of NFL jokes; will Atlanta get last laugh?

The Atlanta Falcons just can’t help themselves.

A handful of other teams pursued Deshaun Watson as well as passed on Lamar Jackson and Bill Belichick, but it’s only the Falcons that are ridiculed in the national spotlight.

During an offseason where fans thought the organization was on the right track with the acquisition of Kirk Cousins, they followed it up with one of the most controversial draft picks in NFL history.

Selecting Michael Penix six weeks after handing Cousins $180 million is an unprecedented move the league has never seen. The situation isn’t similar to the Packers or Chiefs, and it’s once again made the Falcons the butt of the NFL’s jokes.

There is a very small minority of media pundits who are defending the decision to draft Penix. The vast majority don’t have an issue with the prospect, but rather they’re questioning the process, and it’s fair.

What makes it even worse is the Falcons answering questions about the pick.

Whether it’s Terry Fontenot saying they hope Penix doesn’t start for four to five years or Raheem Morris calling himself and the team’s GM Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce because of the attention the pick is garnering, the Falcons just continue to look like an unserious franchise.

The vision is clear, but will the Falcons get the last laugh?

I don’t even know what the Falcons believe the ideal scenario to be. Would it be Kirk Cousins playing all four years of his contract and Penix taking over from there? Would it be two years with the veteran then the youngster starts?

I’m not even sure the Falcons know, which wouldn’t surprise me. This is one of the least organized teams in football.

We are all making our jokes, but there is a chance the Falcons come out of this unscathed. It’s a small runway, though. Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris, and Arthur Blank will have to navigate unfamiliar waters, and the smallest gust of wind could throw them off course.

Assuming the 8th overall pick is the next franchise quarterback, which is a MASSIVE assumption, the Falcons could get the last laugh if they successfully oversee the transition from Cousins to Penix.