The free agency period of the offseason never fails to disappoint. Some years are more exciting than others, and this year did not disappoint. Big-name wide receivers and running backs changed teams, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time headed south, and several high-profile quarterbacks were either released or are looking for other opportunities.
If you peel back the layers of free agency, you’ll find a move that, while not as flashy as some of the others, is intriguing from both a real and a fantasy football perspective.
Hayden Hurst was traded from the Baltimore Ravens to the Atlanta Falcons and was tabbed as a free agent winner. It wasn’t a move of great magnitude, but the implications are worth digging into. Will Hurst have fantasy value in Atlanta?
Production & Pedigree
Hurst has first-round draft pedigree after being taken 25th overall by the Ravens in 2018, right between D.J. Moore and Calvin Ridley, coincidentally enough. An older rookie who did declare early, Hurst was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a pitcher in 2012, where he spent two years playing rookie ball before getting back into football at the University of South Carolina.
An exceptional athlete who transitioned between sports, Hurst tested well at the combine by showing decent speed and explosiveness for a tight end.
