Each NFL team gets to bring 30 players in to its facility for pre-draft visits. Each NFL team gets to pick, on average, seven players.
So while it’s easy to overstate the importance of each of the individual visits, some of them are at least worth filing away for future consideration.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Falcons are bringing in Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee for a visit.
The Falcons are among the teams that have generally kept just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and they have a veteran backup in Matt Schaub hanging around.
So whether or not they’re ready to move on from the 36-year-old Schaub (who’s in the second year of a two-year, $9 million deal), the notion of a younger backup to Matt Ryan isn’t without merit.
It’s not like Ryan needs a veteran mentor or anything, and it’s not like anyone thinks Schaub’s leading them to the playoffs if something awful happens to their starter. So taking a look at a late-round prospect like Lee could make some sense on a team with a number of young players who will be wanting contracts in the future (including Ryan). Or maybe they start keeping a third quarterback on the 53, and (NERD ALERT) let Schuab play Obi-Wan to some kid with a high midichlorian count.
Whether Lee’s the guy to make them think about such a plan or not (we don’t always hear about all the visits), it’s at least interesting that the Falcons are thinking about the future at the position.