Breaking News:Atlanta Falcons makes a very costly mistake after agreeing deal

The Atlanta Falcons are not giving one veteran player the chance to stick around for the (second) Raheem Morris era.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Falcons are releasing veteran tight end Jonnu Smith. The decision ends Smith’s tenure in Atlanta after just one season

A former third-round pick, Smith did pretty well for himself in that one season. He finished third on the team in receiving yards with 582 (which was also a career-high for him) and tied for second in receiving touchdowns with three.

But Smith, 28, is the clear TE2 to Kyle Pitts in Atlanta. Morris, the Falcons’ new head coach, will likely do a better job of getting the team’s primary weapons involved in the offense than predecessor Arthur Smith did.

While Smith has a strong track record of production (he was also second on the Tennessee Titans with eight receiving TDs in 2020), he ultimately finds himself as an odd man out in Atlanta. Amid the Falcons’ other high-octane offensive hires this offseason, they are clearly going for higher-ceiling play.

There are multiple avenues the Falcons could potentially take, and from reports, it appears their most desirable one is moving up in the draft and landing one of the top quarterbacks. However, it takes two to tango, and it’s possible nobody at the top of the draft is interested in moving back. That’s why it’s imperative the Falcons must have a backup plan in place, which Raheem Morris addressed on Tuesday. 

The top backup plan for the Falcons if they can’t land one of their desired quarterbacks in the draft might be Kirk Cousins. He’s by far the best free agent quarterback set to hit the open market and fits Zac Robinson’s system like a glove. Overnight, the Falcons would become favorites in the NFC South. However, just like the top quarterbacks in the draft might not be an option for Atlanta, Kirk Cousins might not be available either