Future Could Be Bright For Falcons



Ryan, Smith, Blank, Dimitroff /AP Photos, Bazemore, York
(examiner.com)



There is no doubt the Falcons have been heading in the right direction for the last 3 years and that the foundation is in place to build on for many years to come.  The value of an organization starts at the top with the owner and it trickles down to the General Manager, The Coach, the Quarterback and so on.  The Falcons have the triumvirate in place (GM, Coach, QB) and I believe they are a few years away from seriously contending for the Super Bowl.  If we go back to Saturday’s game we can clearly see the Falcons being overmatched in many areas and them failing to “rise up” to the occasion.  Let’s take a look at some of the problem areas starting with the offense:

n  Everything starts up front at the line of scrimmage and the Falcons got dominated. They were decent the whole season but when the level of competition increased they couldn’t match their opponent’s intensity.  The truth be told, the Atlanta offense is not built to come from behind, to drop back snap after snap and protect the QB.  Matt Ryan gets rid of the ball pretty quick so he doesn’t get sacked as often as other QBs, making the O-line look better than it actually is.  The Falcons have some young offensive linemen waiting in the wings but if they want to have success year after year, they have to upgrade the O-line; most likely through the Draft.

n  The Falcons also need another serious threat at the wide receiver position; someone who can stretch the field and command a double team.  Adding a player like that to the roster would create numerous lanes over the middle for the secondary receivers and the tight end.  Having another high caliber wide receiver along Roddy White would allow the offense the flexibility of playing well from behind, having the capability to strike fast and increase the number of big plays.

n  The offense needs a change of pace back, someone who can catch the ball out of the back field on a consistent basis and create matchup problems for the other team.  The Falcons need a dynamic RB, a game changer who can spell Turner and has the ability to take it to the house every time he catches the ball.

n  With Tony Gonzalez nearing the end of his career, the Falcons need to find a talented young tight end who can watch and learn for a year or two from the Future Hall of Famer.  He needs to be a middle to late round pick, someone who has limited experience but a tremendous upside.

I will come back and focus my attention on the Defense by the end of the day.