Report: Falcons met with Rodrigo Blankenship at Combine

Despite the team agreeing to a contract extension with Younghoe Koo, his roster spot is far from guaranteed. The Falcons have made it clear they would like to bring in competition for the kicker spot, and that is what they are telling  prospects at the combine, including UGA’s Rodrigo Blankenship:

Former Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship met with the #Atlanta #Falcons two days ago. They told him they’re in market for kicking competition. pic.twitter.com/NfSRyEaphW

— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) February 26, 2020

Koo impressed in his first season with Atlanta, as the 25-year old converted 23-of-26 attempts. He has also shown promise with onside kicks, which have been nearly impossible to convert since the NFL changed the kickoff rules.

However, the Falcons held on to former kicker Matt Bryant for a decade. In a perfect world, they would like to find a kicker that can be trusted for years to come.

Just about every team will bring multiple kickers to camp, but it seems the Falcons are truly trying to hold an open competition because — while Koo was effective — at the end of the day, he was an in-season replacement.

Blankenship had a down year by his standards, only converting 27-of-33 kicks. But there is no denying he would add more range to this Falcons’ offense. Atlanta may be able to bring in an undrafted free agent to compete for this spot, but Blankenship is talented enough to justify using a late pick.

Regardless of the nature of the acquisition, the Falcons will be actively searching for new bodies on special teams this offseason.