Falcons Super Bowl odds move after Kirk Cousins signing

The fate of NFL franchises can shift quickly, despite the popular belief that rebuilds take time. In fact, as long as teams have a good head coach-quarterback combo, they're in good shape — just ask the Houston Texans. The decisions to hire DeMeco Ryans and draft C.J. Stroud took the Texans from a three-win football team to being one half away from an AFC Championship Game appearance in just one season.

The Atlanta Falcons will be hoping their fortunes have shifted in the same sense after bringing two fresh faces on board in recent months. The Falcons found their next head coach in Raheem Morris earlier this offseason. However, Atlanta made a splash on the first day of free agency when the franchise fixed its glaring quarterback issue, signing former Minnesota Vikings signal caller Kirk Cousins.

The belief around the league is that Cousins can be a game-changer for a Falcons roster loaded with talent. How are oddsmakers viewing the blockbuster move, though?

Unsurprisingly, sportsbooks aren't exactly sold on the move just yet. Whereas fans tend to be a bit reactionary — which could be the understatement of the year, depending on the situation — oddsmakers set lines using logic. It goes without saying, therefore, that the shift in odds isn't as drastic as expected.

Atlanta didn't jump any other teams on the oddsboard. The Falcons were +3500 before adding the coveted free agent, wedged between a cluster at 30/1 and the Cleveland Browns (40/1). Cousins' addition now sees Atlanta join the aforementioned group (the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets) at +3000.

It's a similar scenario with the Falcons' odds to win the NFC. Atlanta (+2000 as of March 5) didn't overtake anybody over the last week, but it pulled level with the Rams at +1400. It can only be assumed that oddsmakers set these lines knowing there would be a different individual under center for the Falcons next season, and that's the reason for the relatively uneventful shift.

The most significant change saw Atlanta become the clear favorite to win the NFC South. FanDuel Sportsbook saw it as a relatively competitive race in early March. The Falcons were the favorites at +160, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+240) and New Orleans Saints (+260) were still seen as serious contenders. Even the Carolina Panthers (+650) were given an outside chance to compete.

Cousins gives Atlanta an entirely new edge, though. He slots in as undeniably the best quarterback in the NFC South, which establishes the Falcons as firm favorites (-110) in the eyes of oddsmakers. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers (+300), Saints (+340) and Panthers (+1000) witnessed their odds get longer.

Is Atlanta a bigger contender than oddsmakers are hinting at right now?