I found it fitting that the Rams and Falcons met Sunday, in the aftermath of Los Angeles making the blockbuster trade for Jalen Ramsey, and with the Falcons under the cloud of the inevitable firing of Dan Quinn and another reboot.

The more I digested the Rams sending two first-round picks and a fourth to the Jags for Ramsey – a player they still must make the highest paid ever at his position – the more I found myself coming back to the Falcons, and the state of that team right now. Because my gut reaction to L.A. grabbing Ramsey is that, in another year or two, they are going to find themselves in a similar position to where the Falcons are right now. Not in regards to head coach Sean McVay – the single greatest asset that organization has on any level, and someone who will be guiding that club for a long, long time – but in terms of potential roster composition and cap issues and asset allocation.

I see a lot of similarities between these two teams, who each have endured recent heartbreaking Super Bowl losses to the Patriots, and I could see a scenario where the Rams – who just lost to the Pats in February – resemble the Falcons in many ways once they are two years removed from that loss, the way Atlanta is now. Sunday's predictably lopsided result – with the Rams winning easily – is irrelevant. It just got me thinking about where the Falcons are now, and where the Rams hope to avoid to be in a few years.

Week 7 is almost in the books and there's a lot to go over. Fortunately Will Brinson, John Breech, Ryan Wilson and Sean Wagner-McGough are here to break everything down on the latest episode of the Pick Six Podcast. Listen to the full show below and be sure to subscribe right here for daily NFL goodness fired into your eardrums.

The Falcons have plenty of stars, but they also have a massive underbelly that gets exposed week after week. They have paid great players as if they are Hall of Famers in several cases, and, despite being a fairly woeful team a year ago that is faring even worse in 2019, they continue to double-down on their "window" with current players, like giving a soon-to-be 31 year old receiver $60M-plus guaranteed a few weeks back.

Atlanta gave its quarterback $90M in the first two years of his new deal, and, in 2020, will have half of its cap tied up in five players alone, despite having issues across all three levels of its defense, and its offensive line. It has a sparkling new stadium often devoid of local fans, and the product has been in a steady decline since plateauing with that Super Bowl season.

The Rams have similar issues with their offensive line and pass rush, and are long in the tooth at several key spots (left tackle, outside linebacker, safety) and no longer have the type of roster flexibility they once did. Moving up for Ramsey kind of reminds me of the Falcons mortgaging a draft haul to select Julio Jones in the first place, only, as was the case then, I don't think the Rams are one player – specifically, one corner – away from getting back to the top.

And now they must operate without top draft capital for two more drafts. The Rams currently – including Ramsey on a fifth-year option at $13M – have 54 percent of the projected 2020 cap tied up in five players alone. Only, that's going to end up being much more as Ramsey's mega-deal kicks in. The Jared Goff contract extension, on the heels of the Rams also extending Todd Gurley at least a year before they had to, both carry some excessive risks; Goff clearly is limited, even within McVay's uber-system, when the protection and run game sag just a little and Gurley's health has to be a serious concern.

I don't want to make too much of the cap, because Stan Kroenke is worth more than the GDP of many countries and cash always trumps cap, you can move money around and convert cap to bonus, and the cap will be going up even more once the new gambling  and TV money kicks in … but when you factor in age at key positions and lack of depth and lack of draft picks, this team had better win it all in the next few years or McVay is going to have to overhaul it with a different cast.

I'd also note that Russell Wilson isn't going away, the 49ers' roster is legit, Kyler Murray is quietly starting to have a historically significant rookie season and at some point someone in Arizona will start hitting on more draft picks, at the very least at a percentage higher than the last three years. If anything this is an ascending division (kinda like the NFC South with New Orleans and Carolina) and this trade makes the margin for error in future transactions very tight for the Rams if they are going to keep pace.

Ramsey's presence allows Wade Phillips – who needs two top corners for his system to work – to go back to attacking opponents with more numbers (as he did to Ryan today) and that unit badly needed help. But McVay can only do so much with an offense that can get too easily whipped in the trenches. If the Rams prove to have actually extended a Super Bowl run, then McVay will be the primary reason why – superior coaching, and, specifically, game calling, really matters, and that is where the difference really comes in this Rams/Falcons comparison.

The Falcons opted not to keep any of Kyle Shanahan's trusted offensive assistants around when their former coordinator departed to take over the 49ers after that Super Bowl collapse, and they haven't resembled that kind of overpowering, balanced offense since. And Quinn taking over the defense has been a disaster, thus the calls across Atlanta for him to depart that will only grow louder now after getting throttled again Sunday. (Quinn could be fired at any point now, at 1-6 and with a team showing no signs of life).

You have to applaud the Rams for being gutsy and bold, which has served them well in the past. Ramsey is a beast and will certainly make them better, although Julio Jones ran past him a few times Sunday. Only, they don't have a QB on a rookie deal and a game-breaking back and Hall of Fame defensive tackle on rookie deals anymore, the offensive line has aged and regressed and I can't help but worry if all of that passion and vigor were misdirected. We couldn't find out much in Atlanta, given the sorry state of that opponent.

Skins, Bengals should embrace future and deal

I'll say it again – the hapless Skins would be beyond silly and spiteful if they don't deal Trent Williams this week. That charade has gone on too long already. The Bengals will regret not dealing A.J. Green, Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, Tyler Eifert and whoever else, as well. They are a horrible football team with those players, and their rebuild is going to be long and painful. The Jags held the ball for 38 minutes and 17 seconds and bullied them all over the field. Embrace the future because the present can't get much worse than this. It's also time to get a look at rookie QB Ryan Finley soon enough. Andy Dalton was brutal in the second half Sunday and should be a prime trade candidate in the offseason.

Another Carr fumble a killer for Raiders

Derek Carr has to do a better job of protecting the football around the pylon. The Raiders were plenty game at Lambeau, and showed fight, but Carr's fumble for a touchback at the end of the first half changed the entire tenor of the game and was essentially a 14-point play. I still think the Raiders can make things interesting in the AFC West, especially with Patrick Mahomes out a while.

More Week 7 insider notes

  • The Texans' propensity for untimely penalties gives me pause. They negated a fourth-down conversion with a penalty, and they gave the Colts a key early first down with a defensive holding penalty on third-and-15. And they could not execute, repeatedly, in first-and-goal situations …
  • Minshew Mania has slowed down plenty the last two weeks, and Sunday was the first time I found myself doubting him a bit. He couldn't string anything together against a Bengals defense that has been getting thrashed. It's almost like maybe he's hitting a bit of a rookie wall or something. Regardless, I'd stick with him even when Nick Foles comes  back, but I am starting to wonder if in fact that will be the case … 
  • I'm becoming increasingly intrigued by Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds, who this coaching staff seems to trust. He tore through that suspect Giants defense and had 125 yards rushing and three touchdowns by the third quarter …  
  • Jacoby Brissett and the Colts are going to be a problem in January … 
  • Third straight week the Vikings offense was humming along and incredibly balanced. Can they do it against the Bears and Packers? We shall see.