The Falcons have been quite active the offseason, agreeing to the biggest free agent deal of the free agency period, inking Kirk Cousins to a massive $180 million deal over four years.
Within the opening bell of the legal tampering period, Terry Fontenot got his quarterback as well as someone for him to throw to in Darnell Mooney, who agreed to a three-year deal worth $39 million.
Over the next week or so, the Falcons would agree to deals with new and familiar faces, filling out the roster with depth and role players — Charlie Woerner, Nate Landman, Ryan Neuzil, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Kentavius Street, KhaDarel Hodge, and Storm Norton.
One of the more intriguing moves that could pay huge dividends was the Cardinals and Falcons trade of Desmond Ridder and Rondale Moore. Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently talked about the deal, describing the move as a ‘change-of-scenery swap’:
A player-for-player trade! What a time to be alive. With Kirk Cousins for the Falcons in free agency, Atlanta no longer had a need for its deposed starting quarterback. With two years left on his rookie deal, the Falcons sent Ridder to the Cardinals for Moore, who is entering the final year of the four-year pact he signed as a second-round pick in 2021.
At its core, this is a change-of-scenery swap. Ridder looked overmatched as the starter in Atlanta and was going to be buried on the depth chart for the next two years. Moore was drafted by the departed Steve Keim/Kliff Kingsbury regime in Arizona and had 1,201 combined receiving yards over his first three seasons combined. There’s something to this deal for both sides.
For Arizona, Ridder will be a cheap backup (only $2.6 million over the next two years) but doesn’t come with any risk. The Cardinals can cut bait with the third-round pick with no dead money.
For Atlanta, Moore is an electric player who hasn’t necessarily lived up to the hype of his second-round status. Zac Robinson will have to get creative with his role because, at this point, he seems to be just a gadget player. Those can be valuable, but only if a coordinator can get him the ball in space.
There’s very little downside for both teams, and both players could stand a change of scenery.
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