Arthur Smith Shuts Down Idea of Falcons Tanking in 2022

The Atlanta Falcons have a lot of new faces on a roster that continues to be filled with short-term deals and low-budget free agent signings. The team is still trying to figure out a way to manage its current cap space, but that doesn't mean Arthur Smith has any intentions of tanking in 2022.

Atlanta Falcons News

Smith said during an interview with The Athletic that looking ahead to the 2023 draft class right now is a "waste of time." While he backed up starting quarterback Marcus Mariota with that comment, Smith also went into further detail about the landscape of today's drafting process.

The second-year head coach mentioned that draft picks are not nearly as valuable as they were in the past. Trades are taking over the league, showcased by the numerous blockbuster deals that have occurred this offseason. It makes the idea of tanking for a high draft pick seem less appealing.

"I want to win. I have an urgency to win. You’re never promised anything. You don’t know what’s going to happen a year from now."

- Arthur Smith on the 2022 season

The Falcons have been stuck in limbo for years now. They haven't posted a winning record since 2017, yet have had just one top-five overall pick during that span. Heading into 2022, Atlanta is tied with the Houston Texans for the lowest win total projection at 4.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

The contracts of quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones will eventually be off the books, giving Smith a legitimate opportunity to bring in more talented options. For now, he simply has to work with what is in front of him and hope that is is enough to make some noise in the NFC South.

The Falcons currently have the second-worst odds to win Super bowl 57 at +25000.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.