There's a distinct discomfort in watching a gambler push past the boundaries of what's advisable in pursuit of a substantial payoff.
It's the same unease that one might have felt in recent years while watching the Atlanta Falcons try to cut against the grain to build themselves into a contender.
No one could accuse general manager Terry Fontenot of adhering to a herd mentality in his five seasons serving as the organization's architect. Atlanta became the first team in the common draft era to select skill-position players in the common draft era with top-eight selections in four consecutive drafts from 2021-24 with tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson and quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
That core was put in place to set them up for a breakthrough in 2025, with first-round picks Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. brought on to jolt a pass rush that had languished for some time. An end to a seven-year playoff drought – tied for the second-longest active streak – seemed within reach.
"We're in a better place now, team-wise, coaching-wise, totally across the board than we've been in a number of years," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in late July. "And so we were close last year, didn't finish the way we wanted to finish, for sure. ... And so, I look forward to the season and a different set of results at the end of the season."
