The former New England Patriots general manager blasted the Atlanta Falcons general manager for his abysmal draft selection of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. while appearing on the Pat McAfee show Friday.
“This just smacks at a lack of a plan. This just smacks at not trying to do your job as the general manager, tying things together,” Michael Lombardi said, lambasting Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot.
“Michael Penix is a great player but that’s not the conversation here..
This is just a lack of a plan by the Falcons..
I hate to break the news to Terry Fontenot but if Penix sits for 4 years you’re gonna have to pickup his 5th year option without him playing” ~ @mlombardiNFL pic.twitter.com/3gDuHJBnXq
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 26, 2024
Lombardi was questioning Atlanta’s headscratcher of a decision to select Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday despite the fact that they just signed QB Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal just weeks ago.
“And don’t come out there at the press conference and say, ‘hey, if Michael has to sit four or five years, we’d be happy because we’re winning.’ Well, hey, I hate to break the news to you Terry but if he’s sitting for four years you still gotta pick up the fifth-year option. And if he hasn’t played for four years are you still gonna do that?” Lombardi continued.
“Look, Michael Penix is a good player, that’s not the conversation here … but the job of a general manager is to prepare his team, to marry the free agent system into the draft. And if you’re Terry ‘Super Bowl-winning GM’ Fontenot, who’s won 21 games in three years, since he’s been in charge … your job as the general manager is to look over your needs and say we’ve gotta marry the free agent system to the draft,” Lombardi concluded. (RELATED: The Bills Just Handed Patrick Mahomes His Fourth Ring On A Silver Platter)
The former Patriots GM, and friend to the greatest coach of all time Bill Belichick, has been going scorched earth on Fontenot and the Falcons since they made the selection. Aside from crapping all over him on the McAfee show, Lombo’s been raking him over the coals on his own Twitter feed.
“I can see why Belichick wasn’t in the Falcons top three of head coaching candidates. They are on a different level than anyone. 169-170 since 03,” he sarcastically tweeted Thursday night. The Falcons interviewed Belichick for their then-vacant head coach opening multiple times but ultimately decided not to hire him.
“The Falcons are behaving like a guy with no money, but just bought a second Rolex. You can’t wear two Rolexes, Terry!” he also said Friday.
The Falcons are behaving like a guy with no money, but just bought a second Rolex. You can’t wear two Rolexes, Terry!
How did Fontenot get Arthur Blank to sign off on Penix after guaranteeing Cousins $100M?
Check out The GM Shuffle on @DKNetwork at https://t.co/b4sYN4CC91 pic.twitter.com/WTJJ5pzVpE
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) April 26, 2024
No mercy from Lombo and I absolutely love it. He’s 100 percent correct too. There’s truly no justification for this asinine pick. Sure, Penix is a talent. But you have a 35-year-old QB on a nine-figure deal, the time to win is now. You go out there and either get him some O-line help or bolster your horrific 2023 defense. Anything else is questionable at best.