Falcons are on the clock with Bijan selection
Falcons roll the dice on Robinson as offense enters the end game
When the Falcons selected Bijan Robinson with the 8th overall pick of the 2023 draft it set in motion an unforeseen timeline from which no one in the organisation will be able to escape.
The Falcons have been in hibernation, quietly rebuilding and accumulating weapons around which Arthur Smith can build his team. With the Bijan selection all pretences go out the window. Smith has his team now, and with three top 10 skill position picks in a row there is no more room for any middle ground or in-between.
Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier, Bijan Robinson. Listening to Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith list out their offensive weapons in the post draft press conference and it’s clear they view Robinson as the final piece of the puzzle.
“Bijan’s more than a running back. He’s an impact football player” - Arthur Smith
Robinson’s a fantastic player, arguably a generational prospect and regardless of how you feel about running back value, there is no denying his abilities on the football field. While Robinson will come in and instantly be productive in Smith’s run heavy scheme this selection heaps the pressure onto Smith & Fontenot to run a functional and perhaps more importantly, versatile offense.
For all the last 2 years there have seen bright spots with the ball but there can be no denying that Smith’s offenses have been one dimensional units, who have struggled to consistently move the ball, particularly against defenses who can matchup in the run game.
In year 3, the regime of Fontenot and Smith would have been expected to start seeing results regardless. The Robinson selection simply highlights and exemplifies this timeline as a high profile and controversial pick which goes against the think tank and crowd sourcing much of the league has adopted.
“People want to crowdsource things and go with groupthink so they feel good right now. OK, we’ll see. We’ll find out, but we feel pretty damn good about where we’re at” - Arthur Smith
The majority of the discourse around the Robinson pick will feature arguments of BPA vs Running Back Value. Honestly, these arguments have already been done to death and at this point resemble little more than 2 politicians screaming at each other from across the room.
The far more interesting narrative surrounding the Falcons is their roster building approach.
Since Patrick Mahomes arrived in the NFL teams have been going out of their way to find a ‘franchise QB’ to run their version of a pass heavy, spread offense. The Falcons have done the inverse, they found their QB in the bargain bin and have instead invested heavily in surrounding him with elite playmakers. To boot they are an offense committed to running the ball and this forms the foundation around which the rest of the offense is built.
Regardless of your views on Desmond Ridder or Bijan Robinson this approach is a genuinely interesting and unique one, which will probably be largely ignored in favour of the more obvious & obnoxious arguments listed above.
Many will argue that no matter how well Robinson plays the Falcons would have been better investing the pick at any other position. While this may well be true, Atlanta is at present operating as a unique entity whose successes and failures can only truly be viewed through the win column. Bijan may or may not help the Falcons win games, either way, his selection ensures the spotlight will be watching.