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Atlanta Falcons helmet on the table before Raheem Morris is introduced as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Buccaneers rival Falcons predicted to lose QB to Browns

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up for the NFL Draft that is just around the corner. The Bucs did enough in free agency to help improve their roster from 2024, and will look to expand upon that here in just over a week with fresh, young talent.

While much of the focus is on what the Buccaneers are doing, it is also important to pay attention to the rest of the NFC South teams and the moves they are making to try and hunt down the Bucs for the division crown.

The Carolina Panthers looked to have drastically improved, the Atlanta Falcons are close but can they get over the hump and who the heck knows what is going on in New Orleans with the Saints.

When looking at the Falcons, they believe they have something special with quarterback Michael Penix after he took over for Kirk Cousins late last season as the veteran dealt with injuries and poor quarterback play.

It seems as if Atlanta is ready to move on from Cousins and ride with Penix despite signing Cousins to a massive contract not long ago. This has sparked speculation on whether or not the Falcons will try and move Cousins, and according to Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, they should trade him to the Cleveland Browns in return for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

Cousins has a no-trade clause within his contract with the Falcons, but he could end up waving that if he sees a spot where he might have a chance at becoming a starting quarterback again.

Cleveland would make sense as a landing spot for Cousins, given his relationship with head coach Kevin Stefanski, but it will come down to what the Browns want to do with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft.

If the Browns don't go quarterback at number two, this scenario would make even more sense given the concerns at their quarterback position with Deshaun Watson's health a major issue and with an aging Joe Flacco and unproven Kenny Pickett the only other quarterbacks in the room.

Getting Cousins would likely immediately vault him to the starting role until Watson is fully healthy, but I don't really this happening due to the quarterbacks aforementioned that were acquired by Cleveland this offseason.

In Atlanta, losing Cousins would mean that Emory Jones would move into the backup role behind Penix. Jones isn't necessarily seen as a solid backup option, and given Penix's previous injury history, it wouldn't likely be something the Falcons would want to deal with when they have a more viable option in Cousins.