Last year, former Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was a hot commodity in the NFL Draft. Teams loved his natural ability to get to the quarterback, and he proved he could be a plus player with 10.5 sacks as a rookie. But the big question remains, was he worth it for the Atlanta Falcons to give up their first-round pick this year?
Falcons fans have not been thrilled with the move, especially given the off-field concerns surrounding Pearce since entering the NFL. Atlanta sent their first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams, led by one of the league’s top coaches, Sean McVay. The Rams used that No. 13 overall pick to select Alabama's Ty Simpson, a quarterback who had previously drawn interest from Tennessee out of high school and after this past season. Now, Falcons fans are left wondering if they may have helped deliver a potential franchise quarterback to one of the NFL’s top offensive minds.
James Pearce has had a solid start to his career
James Pearce has had a nice career start so far, but the off-the-field struggles are very concerning. He still could be punished by the NFL with a suspension despite him getting no jail time for his alleged battery in February. However, one more mess up from Pearce and he will likely receive a major suspension from Rodger Goodell.
While Pearce is a solid player and should have a nice career, Falcons fans are livid overall that their pick is going to contribute to the Rams' continued dominance in the NFC. People had hoped that when reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford retired, someone else would take over the NFC throne, but with McVay having a chance to develop a potential franchise quarterback with Atlanta's pick is brutal. All of this happened because they decided to trade up for a former Vol.
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