Falcons Christmas Gifts? Our 3 Holiday Wishes for Matt Ryan & Rebuilding Atlanta
The 6-8 Atlanta Falcons are enjoying the gift of playing meaningful football this holiday season, with the Lions next on the slate. However, this offseason, QB Matt Ryan and company should have plenty on their wish list.
Our five presents we'd like to see under the tree ...
1) First and foremost, Atlanta must retain its best offensive weapon, Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson is a vital cog of the team's offense as he is both a prolific receiver and rusher who can be aligned at various positions. The "Swiss Army Knife'' is set to be an unrestricted agent when the season ends, and the Falcons must retain him at all costs - well, OK, at all reasonable cost - as he enables other players around him to thrive.
2) Next, head coach Arthur Smith must inject talent onto the perimeter of the offense. As it stands now, wide receiver Calvin Ridley is away from the team due to personal reasons. In his absence, Atlanta's wide receivers have shown flashes of promise but not enough consistency to be counted upon in mainstay roles moving forward. Russell Gage is the only wideout that has amassed over 70 yards receiving in a contest since Ridley's departure in Week 5.
Pro Bowl rookie Kyle Pitts is "not just a tight end.'' But he's also "not just a wideout.''
Atlanta needs more.
Maybe it would be wise for the team to address the lack of depth in the mid-rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. For instance, Nevada's Romeo Doubs could be a potential candidate to rectify the Falcons' depth chart at the wideout position with their later second-round draft pick or even their third-round selection. That is only after they address a more significant matter.
3) Above all, the organization must protect Matt Ryan, its 36-year-old signal-caller. The Falcons rank 26th (per Pro Football Focus) in pass-blocking. More specifically, after Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan is the most pressured quarterback in the NFL. Where does the majority of the pressure come from, you may ask? Starting rookie left guard, Jalen Mayfield has allowed the 4th most pressures (51) of all NFL linemen this season. While he does bear potential, it is evident that he is not quite ready for a starting role yet.
If Atlanta were to make a splash offensively, potential free agent guards such as Brandon Scherff or Andrew Norwell would establish an immediate veteran presence. Even acquiring a journeyman veteran such as Jermaine Eluemunor at the position on a team-friendly deal would be welcome. Simply put, the left guard position must be upgraded sooner rather than later.
While the team is limited in cap space, they must prioritize placing talent around Ryan. He is still a more than capable quarterback in this league when afforded the windows of opportunity to make plays.
For the team to get back on the right track, surrounding their franchise QB with protection and playmakers could pay dividends next season.
