T.J. Yates Re-Signing Is Savvy Move by Falcons

One year in Atlanta wasn't enough for quarterback T.J. Yates. The 27-year-old agreed to return to Atlanta shortly before free agency started on March 10. 

According to Adam Caplan of ESPN, Yates' deal with the Falcons will pay him $1.5 million for the 2015 season.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

In a weak quarterback market, Yates quickly became one of the most intriguing options for teams. He has only started five games in four years, but he completed 61.2 percent of his passes.

For the Falcons to retain a proven backup at such a low cost speaks to how well their front office did in this deal. 

It's hard to look at any backup quarterback and get immediately excited, but the value of having depth at the position is essential. 

You think New England wasn't grateful to have Matt Cassel when Tom Brady tore his ACL in 2008?

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QB T.J. Yates getting interest from four teams outside of the Falcons. We'll see what happens with him.

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 5, 2015"

Just look at the other deals for quarterbacks so far this offseason. Brian Hoyer, who has won a lot of games over the last two years with mediocre stats, got $10.5 million through 2016. 

Josh McCown, who is a career backup, save for those five games in 2013 when he was throwing balls up to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, got three years and $14 million from Cleveland after being cut by Tampa Bay. 

The nature of the position makes it so teams have to overpay for anyone, even players who are historically backups at the position. 

Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com report Yates was drawing a lot of attention before ultimately reaching a deal with the Falcons:

Yates was the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans during the team's playoff run in 2011. He was an efficient 11-of-20 with one touchdown in a 31-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round.

"

QB T.J. Yates getting interest from four teams outside of the Falcons. We'll see what happens with him.

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 5, 2015"

While that's not exactly the stuff of a future star, it does speak to Yates' ability to step in at a moment's notice without being overwhelmed.

The Falcons haven't needed to use the backup quarterback, at least in a starting capacity, since 2009 because Matt Ryan has been an iron man. 

Yet it's no secret that, despite the front office's best efforts, Matt Ryan takes a lot of hits because the offensive line is a mess. 

Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus, which had the Falcons offensive line ranked 19th in pass protection and 26th overall last season, noted it's a group in need of help:

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They got better, but even with the injuries it wasn’t the level they had hoped for after spending a high pick on a tackle and investing big money in Jon Asamoah. The encouraging sign is they did get better as the season went on, but it’s far from an imposing unit.

"

Ryan is going to be 30 when next season starts, and eventually those hits he takes will catch up to him. It may not be in 2015, but Yates' presence does give them a solid insurance policy. 

A backup quarterback is like health insurance. You're paying for it with the hope of not using it, but it's great to have when you do need it.

Considering how quickly teams can fall off a cliff if their starting quarterback gets injured, Yates has shown the ability to hold the position up and let other talented players increase their performance.

The backup quarterback isn't going to generate huge headlines, but every team is thrilled to have one capable of starting if needed. The Falcons got one of the best bargains in the bunch.

Note: Contract information via Spotrac