Three New Year’s Resolutions for the Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have outperformed the expectations of some, but their roster still needs a lot of work. There are good pieces on this team, but they have been exposed for their lack of depth against good teams at times. This is still a team that has shown flashes at times, but they’re going to have to improve significantly if they are going to hang with a much harder schedule in 2022.

 

Find Some Direction

With limited cap space and coming off an evaluation year, I think it’s reasonable to expect Atlanta to either go all-in on Matt Ryan or completely tear things down. The key will be committing to one or the other. I’m in favor of giving Matt Ryan a chance to compete somewhere as his career winds down. The dead cap hit will be record-setting, but the Falcons will have an opportunity to get some draft picks and build around some of the younger players on their roster. Names like Calvin Ridley, Deion Jones, and even Grady Jarrett could be a part of the reset. I can handle that for a season as long as the Falcons get some picks to retool their roster and valuable cap space.

 

Fortify the Trenches

In my opinion, the Falcons should look to free agency to address the trenches — rebuild or not. I listed ten free agents they should consider here, and at the top of my list was James Daniels. Daniels is only 24 and would immediately fill a massive hole at left guard. The Falcons have thrown tons of draft capital at the offensive and defensive lines, and they have little to show for it. With their limited cap space, they should focus on younger players that fit the timeline now and in the future.

 

Focus on the Draft

When you don’t have much money to spend, you can’t afford to whiff on many draft picks. The Falcons approached the draft as a best player available strategy, but I’d like to see them take a few more risks. They have needs all over the roster, so I’m okay with drafting whoever if the best player on the board. Someone like Trey Smith would have been nice to have in the 2021 draft cycle. Regardless, this will be one of the most critical drafts in franchise history as the Falcons pivot one way or another.