What Terry Fontenot is looking for in next Falcons QB

Despite all the change around the Falcons in recent years, one thing remains the same: they need a quarterback.

Since the departure of Matt Ryan, the Falcons have trotted out Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke – none of whom have brought Atlanta any closer to success. Now, they’re at an interesting crossroads as an organization. The division is fairly wide open, and they have the No. 8 pick in the draft.

There are some veteran options, like Kirk Cousins, that the Falcons could add that would represent an upgrade over what they have, but isn’t necessarily a long-term solution. They can cross their fingers that a rookie quarterback they like falls to them at eight, or they could trade up to try to get him. They could also try to trade a haul for someone like Justin Fields.

“The elephant in the room is having to add that quarterback that can make a difference, that quarterback that you win because of, not in spite of,” new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Tuesday on The Midday Show with Andy & Randy. “Or that quarterback that can actually go out there and win the game for you and change the game for you or change how you view yourself from a whole entire organization. Not just from a game-to-game standpoint, but from a whole perspective.”

The Falcons’ offense already has a bevy of weapons. Bijan Robinson is a star in the making, and Drake London has the skill set to be a No. 1 wideout. If they manage to unlock Kyle Pitts like they did as a rookie, that gives them threats all across the offense.

But when it comes to determining who they want as their next quarterback, general manager Terry Fontenot told Andy & Randy one area trumps the others.

“It’s the right leader,” Fontenot said. “Obviously you have to be a good football player. Different players do it different ways, you have to be an effective football player. You have to be able to come in and (with) the pieces that we have, you have to be able to come in and be a multiplier and make those players around you better.

“So, you need the right skill set, the right talent, but you have to have the right leader and the right person that’s going to come in. It’s about that makeup and making sure we bring in the right person because there’s no position that is looked at more, dissected more, there is no position that has more pressure on it. And so we have to get the right human being, and then make sure the skill set fits what we’re looking for.”