Desmond Ridder: We think our offense will be explosive The Falcons have not picked a quarterback in the first round since drafting Matt Ryan in 2008, but they have been devoting resources to the offensive side of the ball. Running back Bijan Robinson became the third straight offensive player that the Falcons have taken in the first round and they also made a trade for tight end Jonnu Smith this offseason. They join wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, and running backs Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson as pieces around 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder in Ridder’s first season as the starting quarterback. The lack of experience at quarterback will lead to some questions about how effective the Falcons will be, but Ridder said on NFL Network Monday that the supporting cast “just makes my job a lot easier” and that the Falcons “think that we’re gonna be pretty explosive” any way they choose to move the ball. “However that comes, we just want to be explosive,” Ridder said. “Whether it’s in the run game, the pass game, whatever it may be, obviously this is a game where you got to put points up on the board, and that’s something that we want to do as an offense, all the while taking care of the ball, controlling the game, just doing what you have to do to go out there and win. So from the Falcons offense, we can just go out there just play our hardest and expect to be explosive.” There are new quarterbacks in place for all four teams in the NFC South and little consensus about which of the clubs is best positioned to win the division. If the Falcons offense proves to be what Ridder thinks it can be, the Falcons should have a good shot of rising to the top. PFT
I saw that segment on "Good Morning Football" this morning. It was a just plain bad interview segment. Peter Schrager introduced Ridder by pointing out that he never lost a home game in college and that he went 2-0 in home games for Atlanta last year, which was kind of interesting. But it was all downhill after that as the NFL-N hosts were absolutely clueless. Seriously, the little girl who did the commercial with Ray Lewis once upon a time asked much better questions. (What's your favorite color? Hash browns or home fries?) My favorite question was that one of them asked Ridder about his impression of rookie fourth round cornerback Clark Phillips III from practicing against him so far. Ridder tactfully explained - in detail - that they haven't actually practiced against each other yet. They've been in the weight room together, but that's it. Otherwise, Ridder wasn't eligible for rookie minicamp and the offense vs defense stage of OTAs doesn't start until tomorrow. Meanwhile, Chris Simms has started his annual blathering of counting down his list of Top 40 quarterbacks. Ridder is #40. Taylor Heinecke is #33. So... still a lot of bashing coming our way from the media "experts". It has me looking forward to the season even more.
Tyler Allgeier “excited” about competition with Bijan Robinson Tyler Allgeier‘s rookie season was more productive than most people predicted, but that didn’t stop the Falcons from adding competition at running back this offseason. Allgeier’s 1,035 yards and 4.9 yards per carry didn’t stop the Falcons from using their first-round pick on Bijan Robinson this April. Making a move that could lead to a change in the starting lineup is the sort of thing that might ruffle some feathers, but Allgeier said on Wednesday that he thinks “everyone will get their chance to shine” in the Falcons offense and that makes him feel good about the addition of another player to the offense. “Excited. The guys upstairs do things for a reason, and bringing in the right guy,” Allgeier said. “It’s just competition. That’s the name of this game, competition, I’m excited for him to come in and should be fun.” It remains to be seen how everyone’s role shakes out in Atlanta this fall, but it certainly looks like they’ll be going heavy on the ground game in support of first-time starting quarterback Desmond Ridder. PFT ____________ _______________________ Fun to imagine both becoming premier RB's.
Falcons fullback Keith Smith was arrested on a traffic charge of some kind this week. Details weren't disclosed. I was a bit surprised that the team kept a pure fullback on the roster last year and even more surprised when they resigned him for this year. Smith is one of the better fullbacks out there, but even as a "starter" he played slightly less than a fourth of the team's offensive snaps. By contrast, Parker Hesse played 61% of offensive snaps. He's listed as a TE, but he doubles as a fullback - and I had noticed in preseason that he played more snaps at fullback than Smith did. I've been expecting the team to drop the pure fullback and use Hesse in that role instead, especially with last year's late round draft pick John FitzPatrick back from IR to serve as a second blocking TE. I doubt this incident will make a difference in whether Smith makes the final roster, but I will also note that the offensive side of the roster is a bit more crowded this year. Having guys like Hesse and FitzPatrick who can play multiple roles will once again make it hard to burn a roster spot for a pure fullback.
Same thing in Minnesota with CJ Hamm. He's real good as far as fullbacks go, but plays very little because of the offensive scheme.
Speaking of FB's... This is right on cue... Among the many changes to NFL offenses over recent decades has been the long, slow decline of the fullback position. Chiefs coach Andy Reid recognizes that. The Chiefs let fullback Michael Burton leave for the Broncos in free agency this offseason, and Reid said the Chiefs won’t be bringing in a fullback to replace him. An extra tight end would be more likely to take up the fullback’s roster spot. “The tight ends can work into that spot,” Reid said, via the Kansas City Star. “We know Noah [Gray] can do all of that, and that’s kind of where we went with it. We’ve got a number of tight ends that we feel comfortable with, so maybe you keep an extra tight end as opposed to that fullback.” Reid previously said on Jason and Travis Kelce‘s podcast that “the fullback has kind of been eased out of the game a little bit.” With NFL rules like the new fair catch rule on kickoffs reducing the importance of blocking on special teams, fullbacks will also lose some of their value there, as most teams that carry a fullback on the roster use him regularly to block on kickoff returns. The fullback is becoming an endangered species. PFT ___________ _____________________ Been on-going for a while in Minnesota. Not to much need for a lead blocker except for maybe a goal line quick hitter up the middle, but thats even a play from days gone by. Many times a FB is wide open on many plays if he's a guy that has good hands, he can be used that way, but then again, TE's have taken over in that aspect.
Along those lines, Andy Reid said this week that the Chiefs will not carry a full time fullback this season. At this point, if you're a college fullback it's time to start cross-training at TE and ask the coach to list you as a TE/FB.
Whats interesting about that is FB's usually are stout fireplug kinda builds, made for quick hitters and blocking... TE's are WR types now. The game is evolving and I find that fun/interesting to see. Im pretty positive we wont be seeing the wishbone any time soon and the pro-set I formation might be obsolete soon also. Players today are superior, multi-talented types with speed and athleticism... plug and play at various positions. The pure run up the guts are becoming and are for the most part, a thing of the past. Been a while since I seen a play at the goal-line where the offensive line gets the push, the FB plows up the middle taking out the mike and the tail-back waltzes in... was fun then, not effective for the most part in todays NFL.
Lots of teams have made minor roster moves between weeks of OTA sessions. Atlanta just made one. They signed cornerback Breon Borders and waived cornerback Jamal Peters. Borders was originally a UDFA in 2017. I think Atlanta is his seventh organization. He has appeared in 32 games in his career. Peters had been with the Toronto Argonauts for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Atlanta found a good CFL prospect in Dee Alford last year, but it didn't work out so well for Peters. So... one long shot prospect with limited upside who is hoping to make the practice squad replaces another long shot prospect with limited upside who had hoped to make the practice squad.
Bud Dupree “as confident as ever” in first season with Falcons Bud Dupree‘s stint with the Titans ended after the first two years of the five-year contract he signed with the team in 2021, but the edge rusher’s underwhelming stint in Tennessee hasn’t dampened his belief in himself. Dupree signed with the Falcons in April as part of Atlanta’s attempt to infuse their defense with as much new talent as possible. In order for Dupree to make an impact, he’ll need better health after missing 17 games over the last three seasons but he said on Wednesday that those issues aren’t causing him to doubt his ability to help the team win more games this year. “I’m confident as ever, man, and I’m just trying to ball,” Dupree said, via the team’s website. “I want to put forth the best version of my game, to have my best season this year. But I’m not doing that for me personally. My individual goals, I’ve put them all behind me. Now I’m just here for the team, to put my best foot forward and help this team win.” The Falcons have a lot of new pieces to integrate on defense along with Dupree and they also have a new defensive coordinator calling the shots in Ryan Nielsen. They’ll be supporting a first-time starting quarterback in Desmond Ridder, so the sooner the pieces come together the better for Atlanta’s chances this season. PFT
Jeff Okudah grateful for fresh start in Atlanta Things didn’t work out for Jeff Okudah in Detroit after the Lions made him the third overall pick in 2020. He played 25 games and missed 23 with injuries in three seasons. He sat out games with hamstring, shoulder, groin and Achilles injuries as well as a concussion. After three seasons, Okudah totaled 124 tackles, 10 passes defensed and two interceptions, and the Lions shipped him to Atlanta for a fifth-round pick this offseason. It was best for both sides. “Fresh starts don’t come around often, so I think when you get them, you’ve got to put your best foot forward, take advantage of them,” Okudah said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do. That’s my mindset every day I step in the building.” The Falcons did not have an opportunity to exercise the fifth-year option on his contract, because of an adjustment to the contract to facilitate the trade. So, he enters the final year of his rookie deal needing to show he can stay healthy and live up to his draft status before hitting free agency in March. PFT
This is NOT cool... RB Avery Williams, Atlanta's leading returner, suffered a torn ACL and is "probably done for the year," head coach Arthur Smith announced Wednesday.
A bit more info - it actually happened last week. Unfortunately, it came during the one and only practice session that was open to the public. Also... this one practice session was held at the stadium in Atlanta (artificial turf) rather than the natural grass of the practice field at the team's facility in Flowery Branch. I can't help but wonder if that was a factor. Sucks to lose him even before camp, as I was particularly interested in watching how he did in a WR role in this year's preseason games. The silver lining is they already know they need to ramp up other people for the PR (and backup KR) role, so they have already started on it in this week's OTA sessions and will keep it up in minicamp. There are lots of potential candidates, so frankly I have no idea who will come out the winner. Hearing Arthur Smith confirm he's out gave me a flashback to 2009. One afternoon session in training camp that year had a huge turnout - over 1200 fans watching. WR/punt returner Harry Douglas tried to make too sharp a cut and tore his ACL the same way Williams did last week. It made me cringe because I felt then-GM Thomas Dimitroff had made a huge mistake leading into the draft. The team had apparently decided WR Laurent Robinson (drafted for the previous regime in 2007, missed most of 2008 with an injury) no longer fit their plans. Dimitroff traded him before the draft but did not replace him - no free agent signing before the draft and no WR drafted. So when Douglas went down, we were suddenly short two WRs and had no real depth at all in the group - a problem that would plague the team for most of the rest of Dimitroff's tenure. In the "one man gathers what another man spills" department, the 2009 injury to Douglas opened the door for an undrafted prospect to make the team after a couple of years on the practice squad. That was Eric Weems, and a year later he made the Pro Bowl as a return man.
This really hits the major issue in his career - hamstring, shoulder, groin, Achilles, concussion. It's like he's trying to collect the entire set. But there's no issue with him (or free agent Mike Hughes) related to lack of effort or lack of talent. He replaces Casey Hayward in the starting lineup. Hayward was also an injury situation, so in that sense it's a push - he can go on IR just as well as Hayward could. The big question is whether the team has improved the depth behind Terrell, Okudah and Hughes, as that ended up being a major problem in midseason last year. I think they have - they still have Dee Alford and Darren Hall, and they drafted Clark Phillips III.
Kyle Pitts still not practicing but trending in positive direction The Falcons expect tight end Kyle Pitts to be ready for training camp, but he remains out of the offseason program. Pitts underwent surgery on the medial collateral ligament in his right knee late last year. Pitts, running back Caleb Huntley (Achilles), defensive tackle Eddie Goldman (return to play) and running back Avery Williams (knee) are the only players not working at the team’s mandatory minicamp. Williams will miss the season after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament last week. Falcons coach Arthur Smith expects Huntley, Goldman and Pitts healed in time for training camp. “Feel good about where he’s at,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said of Pitts, via Josh Kendall of TheAthletic.com. Pitts injured his knee in Week 11 against the Bears and underwent surgery to repair it. He did not return last season. Pitts, who also had a hamstring injury last season, made 28 receptions for 356 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games. In 2021, he became the second tight end in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards as a rookie, earning a Pro Bowl berth. PFT
A silver lining that was left out of this PFT report is that Ta'Quon Graham is back to full participation in practice. The team kept him out at the start of OTAs, working him on the sideline with a trainer instead, then worked him into limited participation in the middle of OTAs and up to full speed by the end. He was a full participant in the final OTA session and for minicamp. Eddie Goldman's absence was planned, according to the coaching staff. They're ramping him up on a bit of a different schedule since he was retired last year. I'm anticipating that Caleb Huntley will be on PUP status to start training camp and possibly for the start of the regular season.
With Bijan Robinson on the team, where does Cordarrelle Patterson fit in the Falcons’ offense? The addition of running back Bijan Robinson gives the Falcons an impressive array of skill-position players. It also raises questions about which position Cordarrelle Patterson will mainly play. One of the most fascinating NFL Players of the past decade, Patterson has hopscotched both as it relates to geography and role. During his first four years in Minnesota, the 2013 first-rounder became known for his ability to return kicks — and his inability to find an offensive niche. The Vikings didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, and by his contract year he had embraced the role of gunner on the punt team (and excelled at it). After that, it was a year in Oakland, a year in New England, two in Chicago, and two in Atlanta. The Patriots first used him almost as much at running back as at receiver; in 2018, he gained 228 yards rushing and 247 receiving. By his second season in Chicago, Patterson’s contributions had skewed toward the run, 232 yards vs. 132. In his first year with the Falcons, Patterson rushed for 618 yards and generated 548 yards receiving. Last season, it tilted heavily toward the run, with 695 yards on the ground and only 122 through the air. This year, the presence of Robinson and second-year tailback Tyler Allgeier (who had 1,000 rushing yards of his own as a rookie) could nudge Patterson back toward more of a receiver role. As written recently by Tori McElhaney of the team’s official website, “From conversations with both Patterson and [coach Arthur] Smith throughout minicamp, it would seem both parties want to get back to Patterson’s 2021 role now that Smith has Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson at his disposal.” Patterson, now 32, could easily get lost in the shuffle of the Atlanta offense. They have better options at running back, better options at receiver. And while he’s very effective in a hybrid role, hard-nosed when the challenge is to take the football and gain ground with it, Robinson quite possibly will be doing both, too. Perhaps Patterson return to more of a role in the return game. Last season, he had a career-low nine kickoff returns, one of which went for a 103-yard touchdown. Whatever the Falcons do offensively, they have plenty of great options but still only one football. In the past, it has been hard to hold Patterson down because he makes things happen. If/when Robinson assumes the role of straw that stirs the drink, if could leave Patterson with less liquid in his own glass — and it could pave the way for his latest fresh start in 2024. PFT _______ __________________ There are undoubtedly going to be injuries (hopefully minor), so there will be the ability to move him around. He's a weapon at any time in any situation. Ridder has to dig the fact that he will have the most talented check-down choices available then any other NFL team.
Grady Jarrett: We’re confident in Desmond Ridder and what he can achieve The Falcons are riding with 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback entering the season and veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett feels like the young signal-caller is ready. In a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Jarrett said the one word he’d use to describe Ridder is “confident.” "t just seems like the noise around him just hasn’t affected him — just the negative energy that people are giving toward the decision that the team has made to go with him,” Jarrett said. “He’s just so confident in the things that he’s going to be able to do. And we’re confident in him, the things we know he can achieve because he’s shown the work day in and day out. That’s how you want your quarterback, your leader to be — unscathed, a guy that’s just locked in. “So, I mean, confidence is a great word because he’s going to have the swagger, the talent, and everything to match. So I’d definitely say he’s confident.” Ridder started four games as a rookie late last season, with Atlanta going 2-2 in those contests. Ridder completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions, though he did fumble three times. With weapons like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgier, and Bijan Robinson around him, Ridder should be in a good position to make the most of his second year. PFT
Dan Orlovsky did a bit of game film analysis on Desmond Ridder a few days ago, and he's on board with the idea that Ridder will be fine running Atlanta's offense. Here's a video that he posted on Twitter breaking down a throw and showing what he likes about Ridder's play:
