The Atlanta Falcons have had themselves a busy offseason. They were one of, if not the biggest spenders in free agency, and made a splash by selecting running back Bijan Robinson in the draft.
However, Atlanta still has a few positions that stick out like a sore thumb, and the most notable one is quarterback. The Falcons have been adamant that Desmond Ridder will be their starting quarterback, which makes sense, as they need to see what they have in the youngster.
If the goal is to compete, though, placing so much faith in a quarterback with four games of NFL experience is certainly an interesting choice. Newly acquired backup Taylor Heinicke likely doesn't move the needle either.
To be fair, there aren't really any amazing quarterback options left at this point in the offseason.
That said, there are a couple options who could be an upgrade in the short-term. Of those options, the Falcons might want to take a look at Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill, 34, could be on his way out of Tennessee after the Titans drafted Will Levis this year.
Even before that, trade rumors surrounding the veteran quarterback have been circulating for a while now. And looking at all the factors, Atlanta may be the best landing spot for him.
With that said, here is why the Falcons should trade for Tannehill, and what they should give up.
Tannehill would be a perfect fit for Falcons
The 2022 season wasn't a particularly memorable one for Tannehill. He only played 12 games due to injury, and while his stats were decent: 65.3 completion%, 2,536 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, they weren't exceptional by any means.
His QBR of 49.1 was also his lowest with the Titans by a large margin.
Tannehill's middling performance is a reason why he has found himself in trade talks, but not the only one. There's also the Levis selection, but Tannehill's cap hit of over $36 million is a huge factor as well.
With the Titans seemingly entering a transitionary period this season, they could look to get rid of that cap hit.
With all that in mind, why would the Falcons want to bring in Tannehill? It's simple: his relationship with head coach Arthur Smith.
Smith spent two seasons as Tennessee's offensive coordinator before taking the reins in Atlanta, and Tannehill was his quarterback for most of that time.
Tannehill had the best stretch of his NFL career under Smith, completing 67.3% of his passes for 6,561 yards, 55 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions across both seasons. It's not a stretch to say that Smith helped Tannehill revive his career.
That also means there wouldn't be much of a learning curve for Tannehill to learn this offense.
Yes, there are new intricacies and what not, but this is the same offense he has already played and thrived in for years. That familiarity would definitely appeal to Tannehill if he is looking for a new home.
Trade requirements
If this trade were to happen, the Falcons likely wouldn't have to give up much. The most likely scenario would be a couple of mid-round picks, say a third and a fourth. For a veteran, starting-caliber quarterback, that's more than fair.
Remember, Atlanta would also be doing Tennessee a favor by taking Tannehill's massive cap hit off the books. That alone would be valuable to the Titans, so their asking price likely isn't too high.
If this was the trade, then both sides would be getting what they want. The Falcons get a short-term starting quarterback who has already thrived in their offense, and a mentor for Ridder to eventually take the role.
Meanwhile, the Titans would be able to kickstart their new era and free themselves from their highest cap hit.
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