“I'm excited to get a fresh start at wideout,” Morris said. “Get us (the group) up to speed and develop some things. I think the (Desmond Ridder and Moore) trade worked out well for both of us.”
Of course, the Falcons have wide receiver Drake Rondon back and tight end Kyle Pitts.
“Atlanta, when you first come here, you just have a vision of what the position looks like,” Morris said. “I was lucky to be around Roddy (White), Julio Jones and Harry Douglas. If this continues, we're talking about (Justin) Hardy and Taylor Gabriel.”
Morris spent his final season in the NFL with White. But each receiver had quarterback Matt Ryan tasked with getting the ball to Jones.
“Every body type is different,” Morris says. “Different athletic skills. You want to be able to get all of those guys in that (meeting) room. So you can give the quarterback more of an opportunity to play the football and be explosive.” You will be able to do it.”
Moony isn't that big, but he could play the role of Sanu. Sanu was 6-2, 210. The speedy Gabriel scored a career-high six touchdowns, and Moore was well-suited for the role.
McLeod and Hodge have the potential to be major special teams players, as is Hardy, who played in 73 games over five seasons, primarily on special teams.
Mooney signed a three-year contract worth $39 million, with $26 million guaranteed. Some believe Mooney was overpaid, as was the case in 2016 when Sanu essentially replaced White on a five-year, $32.5 million deal.
But the Falcons have vision for him on offense.
“When you're talking about Mooney, you're talking about an elite separatist,” Morris said. “A guy with gas. You're talking about a guy who can run. You're talking about a guy who can play with the ball in his hands.”
The Falcons also believe Mooney will fit into their locker room structure.
“You're talking about the kid, the character, knowing him from the draft when he revealed who he was and some of the things he brought to the table,” Morris said. “A very competitive young man. I was fired up about the opportunity to pick him up.”
The Falcons, who host London and Pitts, believe Mooney can play the X (split end) position and get a lot of one-on-one matchups. Wide receivers are commonly known as X (spilt ends) and Z (flankers) in NFL schemes.
“You watch this guy stand in X position and probably be an elite separator for you and win some one-on-one matchups,” Morris said. “When you win 50-50 down and he changes direction for you, it’s really exciting.”
“He fits exactly what we're looking for,” Fontenot said.
The Falcons also have Josh Ali, Austin Mack and Chris Blair. However, we are not done adding receivers yet.
“We knew we needed to add players there, and these are players we're excited about,” Fontenot said. “It's not that we're specifically saying we don't want to add more big players or we don't want to add smaller, faster players, but that hasn't been the case. It's just that we're really happy with their skill set. It was about adding a really good football player.”
The big moves at quarterback and wide receiver allow the Falcons to address other concerns at the NFL Draft, scheduled for April 25-27 in Detroit.
Almost every mock draft in the country has the Falcons taking Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner to improve their pass rush.
“This is a great position,” Fontenot said. “Whether it's an outside linebacker, a defensive tackle, a defensive end, you need guys that are going to give you pressure all the time. You want to keep adding guys that are going to give you pressure all the time. It's a premium position. is.”
Fontenot said most defensive coaches would also approve of the tackle.
“They're always looking for big players who can stop that run,” Fontenot said. “So you can put yourself in a position to rush. … It can come from a variety of areas. Sometimes it comes at the beginning of the draft, sometimes it comes in the middle, sometimes it comes at the end of the draft. Sometimes I come.”
The Falcons will certainly look for secondary help during the draft.
“We are wide open,” Fontenot insisted. “I love where Raheem and his staff are. We are completely open and know we need to continue to improve this football team.”
The Falcons claim this is a deep draft at several positions.
“If you look at the history of the draft, there have been a number of times where we said, 'OK,' we need a player that will really provide pressure,” Fontenot said. “So, you definitely want to understand that. But you can look back at the draft and getting to guys that somebody's putting pressure on, or leaving really good football players on the board at other positions. ”
In 2007, the Falcons took pass rusher Jamal Anderson (8th overall) and left future Hall of Famers linebacker Patrick Willis (11th) and cornerback Darrelle Revis (14th) on the board. Ta. Running back Marshawn Lynch finished 12th.
In 2015, the Falcons selected pass rusher Vic Beasley with the eighth overall pick. The Rams took running back Todd Gurley with the 10th pick, and the Saints took tackle Andrus Peat with the 13th overall pick. He went on to earn three Pro Bowl appearances.
Closing the deal with Cousins would allow the Falcons to rely on wide receivers and the rest of the roster without having to “reach out” to players.
“He's a known commodity,” Fontenot said of Cousins. “He's had success (winning) in a lot of different places. He's had success in those areas. Understanding the mindset, the mentality, the leadership, all those areas, and then taking a player like that. Bring him in. We know he's going to be a multiplier for us.”
(It should be noted that the Falcons' acquisition of Cousins is under review by the league for possible misconduct, which could result in the loss of draft picks and fines.)