NFL trades and rumors are discussed from the beginning to the end of every season. Some trade ideas are solid in nature and others are a fantasy football owner’s dream. Trading for a quarterback viewed as an upgrade over Desmond Ridder is one being tossed around by media outlets and fans alike as he continues to struggle in his first full season as a starter. Is there an idea for the Falcons out there right now that actually makes sense?
On ESPN’s “Get Up” the idea of trading for local product and current Bears QB Justin Fields was brought up and agreed by the panel that he would be a perfect fit for the Falcons. Fields has, much like Ridder, shown flashes in Chicago but a combination of inexperience and poor organizational structure has landed him on the list of signal callers with an undetermined future in the league. Longtime NFL safety turned analyst Ryan Clark and host Mike Greenberg both felt strongly a homecoming for Fields would benefit both parties. Dukes & Bell had other ideas.
“This is not fantasy football. You hear Ryan Clark and Dan Orlovsky talk about our receivers are not getting separation. We’ve also had our offensive line issues. If the receivers are not getting separation that means throws need to be near perfect. If that is the perception, and we know Pitts is not healthy, so that is one battle we’re fighting. Then on top of that, if you talk about Ridder and Justin Fields, they’re about the same age and on this learning path of what are they. Guys, the Bears have not won a game in almost a year. The last time they won a game was October of last year, Halloween” Carl Dukes explained.
Trading for Fields, or any other quarterback, would require the Falcons to part with assets they’ve spent years accumulating and having to reset their offense to some degree to fit the new signal caller’s strengths.
Dukes & Bell feel that move is not coming and the answer to the offense’s struggles needs to come from within.
