Atlanta Falcons 2020 Season Preview: Laquon Treadwell
Laquon Treadwell was selected in the first round of the NFL draft back in 2016 by the Minnesota Vikings. Coming out of Ole Miss he finished his career as a Biletnikoff Award finalist, All-American, and All-Sec. The Vikings had high hopes for the wide receiver but after four underwhelming years in Minnesota, the two parties decided to part ways.
Now Treadwell is in Atlanta with the Falcons hoping to get a fresh start and a reset to his career. Playing in the Falcons offense can be good for him. With Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Todd Gurley, Treadwell can come in and learn while playing a lesser role that allows him to succeed.
2019 Review
Treadwell saw action in 13 games during the 2019 campaign catching nine out of 16 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. It is worth noting that he was the third or fourth option on a run-heavy team, so there is also a reason for the low number of targets. Kirk Cousins isn’t the most aggressive passer in the league, so with him not having much trust in Treadwell that could have limited his opportunities as well.
2020 Outlook
Treadwell is entering a better situation here, than Minnesota. The Falcons aren’t as run-heavy as the Vikings, also with Jones and Ridley getting the majority of the attention he can slide in the third or fourth receiver role and produce. One thing he will need to improve on is his run blocking. There were several times last season and over his career where you saw him getting blown up trying to block in the run game.
He is still young as well, so playing with Jones and Ryan will allow him to learn and grow more as a player. Not having a regular offseason training program will hurt his ability to adapt to the offense, so he needs to be ready to hit the ground running once the season starts.
This is will be a good opportunity for both sides. The Falcons looking for a No. 3 receiver after trading Mohamed Sanu last season. For Treadwell its a chance of scenery, which can do wonders for a player's career.
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