Falcons 2016 Offensive Depth Chart Preview

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Falcons Depth Chart Preview​

Football season is quickly approaching, which means it's time for our annual depth chart preview for the Atlanta Falcons! We will be going through each position and talking about each player and how they fit in with the team, starting with the offense. It's looking to be an exciting season, and we can't wait for it to start. Without further adieu, here is the Offensive Depth Chart preview heading into Week 1 of the Preseason. Sit back, and enjoy the ride.

 

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Quarterback​

1. Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan is in no danger of losing his job coming into his 9th season as the Starting QB of the Falcons. The former 3rd overall pick struggled down the stretch last year as the falcons only won 2 of their final 9 games. He threw for an exceptional 4591 yards, his 5th straight season throwing for over 4000 yards, and threw 21 TD but also threw 16 INTs. His 89.0 QB rating was his worst rating since 2009. Ryan. will be looking to rebound this season by keeping the turnovers down. The Front Office was able to add Mohamed Sanu Sr. to help take some of the receiving load off of Julio Jones. Hopefully Ryan will be able to get Sanu involved in the offense early and often in order to keep defenses on their toes. Matt Ryan, now 31 years old, probably only has a few good years left in the tank. Can he bounce back this year? Only time will tell.

2. Matt Schaub

Matt Schaub returns to the team who drafted him in 2004, once again coming in as the backup QB. Schaub had his best years in Houston from 2009-2012, but has since fallen off in the league as his age continues to climb. He'd become a Pick 6 machine as he failed to find a suitable role for himself in Oakland or Baltimore. In the two games he started for Baltimore last year, he threw for 540 yards 3 TD and 4 INT. The QB race gets a lot more interesting here at the number 2 spot. Will Schaub be able to reinvent himself and take the backup QB job here in Atlanta? Or will he once again find himself testing free agent waters?

3. Sean Renfree

Sean Renfree has been with Atlanta since they selected him in the 7th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. However, he has basically no experience on the field. In his career, he's only attempted 7 passes with one of them being intercepted. Renfree hopes to compete with Schaub for the number 2 QB spot, but his lack of experience could be good news for Schaub.

4. Matt Simms

Matt Simms seems to be a longshot to make the roster this season. He's been on the Falcons' practice squad since 2015, and other than that hasn't done much to prove himself in the NFL. He will be given chances in the preseason to see if he can compete with Schaub and Renfree for one of the backup QB spots.

 

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Halfback​

1. Devonta Freeman

After exploding onto the scene last year, rushing for 1056 yards and 11 TD, Devonta Freeman enters his 3rd NFL season as the clear-cut starter. Freeman will be looking to prove himself even more this year, as he attempts to show that last year was no fluke. Freeman can absolutely fly, he's one of the fastest backs in the league, but he also has a good blend of power that he mixes in which allows him to be one of the more complete backs in the NFL. More often than not, he'll just run around you. But if he has to, he'll run through you.

2. Tevin Coleman

Tevin Coleman comes into his second NFL season with a secure job as the Falcons' backup RB. He started 3 games in his rookie year due to injuries sustained by Devonta Freeman, and in the small amount of carries he got, he a had a relatively impressive year. Coleman rushed the ball 87 times for 392 yards and 1 TD. While Coleman may not be the starter for this season, he is expected to get a good amount of carries as he'll share some of the rushing load with Freeman. Falcons fans are all hoping Coleman can show some flashes of what he did his Junior season at Indiana, where he averaged 7.5 yards per carry.

3. Terron Ward

Terron Ward, an undrafted FA out of Oregon State in his 2nd year in the league, will be competing with Gus Johnson for the 3rd HB spot on this roster. He saw limited action in his rookie year, carrying the ball just 29 times for 95 yards and 1 TD. All signs point to Ward making the roster, as sources say the Falcons will be keeping at least 3 HB's on the roster.

4. Gus Johnson

Gus Johnson, another undrafted free agent in his 2nd season, will be quite a longshot to make this roster. Although the Falcons are considering keeping 4 HB's, Johnson doesn't seem to factor into that equation. He was on the Cowboys' practice squad in 2015 before before being cut and signed to the Falcons' practice squad. Johnson will have to be extremely impressive in the preseason for him to have a shot at making this roster.

 

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Fullback​

1. Patrick DiMarco

There will be no need for a preseason competition at the fullback position, as Patrick DiMarco has the roster spot locked up at this point. DiMarco is one of the best fullbacks in the NFL, and will be a huge part of the rushing attack this season, as he is arguably the best run blocking FB in the league. DiMarco will have no trouble making the roster.

 

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Wide Receiver​

1. Julio Jones

Arguably the best receiver in the NFL, Julio Jones comes in with no competition for the Falcons #1 WR spot. Jones had a career year last season, as he caught 136 balls for 1871 yards (2nd best all time) and 8 TD. With career highs in both receptions and yards, Jones comes into his 6th NFL season as one of the toughest guys to cover in the league. Julio will be looking to build off of the best season of his career last year, and hopefully with a bounce-back Matt Ryan season, lead the Falcons to the playoffs.

2. Mohammed Sanu Sr.

Mohamed Sanu was probably the biggest pickup of the offseason for the Atlanta Falcons, as they looked to give Julio Jones and Matt Ryan a bit of help in the Red Zone. Sanu, who spent his first four NFL seasons in Cincinnati, has never been a clear-cut number one wideout. He was behind A.J. Green with the Bengals and will be behind Julio Jones here in Atlanta. Sanu put up okay numbers last year with the Bengals, where he caught 33 balls for 394 yards but failed to reach the endzone. The Falcons hope Sanu can return to the production level he had in 2014 where he caught 56 passes for 790 yards and 5 TD. Sanu will definitely make the team, and will most likely secure the #2 wideout spot.

3. Justin Hardy

Justin Hardy enters his 2nd NFL season with the Falcons after contributing 21 catches for 194 yards in his rookie season. Hardy will make the roster, but will have some tough competition with Eric Weems and Nick Williams for the #3 WR spot. Hardy will have to prove himself in the preseason if he wants to secure his spot as the Slot Receiver.

4. Eric Weems

Eric Weems, the oldest receiver on this roster, enters his 10th NFL season, his 8th with the Falcons. Atlanta signed Weems in 2007 after he went undrafted. Weems has never contributed huge numbers while in the NFL, he only caught 1 pass for 11 yards last season for Atlanta, but he hopes to find a spot on this team as either the slot receiver or a kick returner. Don't be suprised if Weems finds himself having to test Free Agent waters after this presason, as there just doesn't seem to be a great fit for him on this team. The upcoming preseason will be a huge one for Eric Weems.

 

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5. Nick Williams

Nick Williams was quite the pleasant surprise last year for Atlanta. He ended up catching 17 passes for 159 yards and 2 TD after coming over from the Redskins in 2015. Nobody expected Williams to do anything, and here he is. He'll be battling it out in the preseason with Weems and Hardy for the #3 WR job.

6. Aldrick Robinson

Ever since catching 18 passes for 365 yards and 2 TD in 2013 for the Redskins, Aldrick Robinson has had trouble doing much on the field. He's bounced around between a few practice squads, and hopes he has found a new home with the Falcons. Robinson is considered to have a shot at making the roster, but a good preseason performance could possibly change the minds of the front office.

7. J.D. McKissic

J.D. McKissic comes into his rookie season out of Arkansas State after the Falcons picked him up as an Undrafted FA. He was a legend for the Red Wolves, where he set the career record for receptions (185) as just a Sophomore. He went on to catch 289 passes for 2838 yards and 11 TD in his career at ASU. McKissic is going to have a tough time making this roster. With more proven receivers ahead of him on the depth chart, McKissic will have to have a special preseason in order to find himself on the 53 man roster.

8. Devin Fuller

Devin Fuller is fast. Really fast. And that's what he's going to need to show in order to make this roster. Fuller was drafted in the 7th round by the Falcons. Fuller will have a chance to return kicks in the preseason, but there is little chance he makes this team as a pass catcher.

9. Corey Washington

Corey Washington hasn't done much in his 2 years in the NFL. His last regular season action was in 2014 for the Giants where he caught 5 passes for 52 yards and 1 TD. He bounced around a few practice squads before signing with Atlanta for this season. He'll have to have a special preseason to make this roster, with so many receivers ahead of him on the Depth Chart.

 

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Tight End​

1. Jacob Tamme

Jacob Tamme enters his 9th NFL season, his 2nd with the Falcons, coming off a career high 657 receiving yards on 59 catches with 1 TD last year. Tamme is starting to get up there in age, but he has always been a reliable pass catching TE. Tamme comes into this season as the Falcons' #1 TE, but he is definitely not the tight end of the future.

2. Austin Hooper

Who is the tight end of the future? Could it be Austin Hooper? The 6'4 TE out of Stanford was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2016 draft by the Falcons, as they were looking to add another Red Zone thread to an offense that struggled in the Red Zone. Hooper was a good receiver in his 2 years at Stanford, catching 74 balls for 937 yards and 8 TD in his career there. Hooper has some work to do to become the Falcons' go to guy at TE, but for this upcoming season, he is pretty much a lock to make the 53 man roster.

3. Levine Toilolo

Levine Toilolo is entering his 4th NFL season, all of them with the Falcons, but after Atlanta selected Austin Hooper in the most recent draft, Toilolo has himself some competition for making the roster. Toilolo has never really shown what he can do. In 2014, he started all 16 games for the Falcons but only caught 31 passes for 238 yards and 2 TD, all career highs. The Falcons will most likely be keeping 3 TE's, so I wouldn't be surprised if Toilolo finds himself grabbing that 3rd TE spot.

4. Arthur Lynch

Arthur Lynch has never found a suitable role for himself in the NFL. He was drafted in the 5th round in 2013 by Miami, but injuries forced the Dolphins to cut him. Since then, he's bounced around on practice squads before signing with Atlanta for this upcoming season. He's never even played a down in the NFL, so it'll be quite the surprise if ends up making this roster. Lynch will have the chance to compete with Levine Toilolo for the 3rd TE spot.

 

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5. Josh Harris

Josh Harris is not here to catch passes. He's not here to block. The only reason he is on the roster currently is due to his long-snapping ability. However, he'll still have an extremely hard time making this roster, as it seems the Falcons are determined to go in a different direction at that position. Since he has little talent as a TE, don't be surprised if Harris is one of the first cuts during the preseason.

 

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Left Tackle​

1. Jake Matthews

Jake Matthews comes into his 3rd NFL season having started 31 out of a possible 32 regular season games in his first two seasons. Matthews still has work to do in order to develop into an elite LT. He's an average pass blocker and an average run blocker. The kid is strong, and if he can put that strength to use, we could really see him blossom in his 3rd year in the league. Matthews heads into the preseason as the number one LT on this roster, and there's no reason he shouldn't see himself starting all season.

2. Tom Compton

Tom Compton comes over from Washington having started just 10 games for them in his 4 years in DC. While he's not as good of a pass blocker as Matthews, Compton can definitely hold his own in the run game. He has a great shot to make this roster as the team's backup LT, but will have to compete with Laurence Gibson in order to secure that spot.

3. Laurence Gibson

Laurence Gibson is a longshot to make this roster. He's not as strong as Matthews or Compton, and is nowhere near the blocker either of them are. With two more talented, and experience tackles ahead of him on the Depth Chart, he'll have to have a special preseason to secure spot on the 53 man roster.

 

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Left Guard​

1. Andy Levitre

Andy Levitre is starting to get up there in age. He's now 30 years old entering his 8th NFL season, his 2nd with Atlanta. Levitre has been extremely consistent throughout his career, having started 16 games every season he's been in the league. He's a great run blocker, but has never really been able to establish himself as a good pass blocker, where he's average at best. His experience should help elevate some of the younger offensive lineman on this team. Levitre is pretty much a lock to start at LG for the Falcons, but Atlanta will have to look to the future sooner rather than later at this position.

2. Ben Garland

Ben Garland will have to compete with rookie Wes Schweitzer in order to make this roster. Garland has never started agame in the NFL, despite entering the NFL in 2010. He's already 28, and still has a much experience as Schweitzer. Expect both him and Schweitzer to see heavy playing time in the preseason.

3. Wes Schweitzer

Wes Schweitzer comes into his rookie season after being selected by the Falcons in the 6th round of the 2016 NFL draft. Schweitzer started all games for the San Jose St. Spartans from 2013-2015, and was even elected team captain in his senior year. Schweitzer has a great chance to make this team if he can beat out Ben Garland for the backup LG job.

 

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Center​

1. Alex Mack

One of the biggest pickups of the offseason for the Atlanta Falcons, 3 time Pro Bowler Alex Mack finds himself, unsurprisingly, as the Falcons' starting center coming into this season. Mack, now 30 years old, started 101 games in his 7 years in Cleveland, and is a good run and pass blocker who will look to anchor this Falcons' O-Line.

2. Mike Person

Mike Person comes into his 6th NFL season, 2nd with Atlanta, after starting 14 games last year for the Falcons. This season, he finds himself as the backup, and will most likely stay there. He's an average pass blocker and a below average run blocker, and the Falcons will most likely keep him around for depth only.

 

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Right Guard​

1. Chris Chester

Chris Chester is the most experienced player on this Falcons' Offsensive Line. He's started 127 games in his 10 years in the league, but is definitely on his last legs. Chester is not the future of this offensive line. He's expected to come in and do his job, but there doesn't seem to be much of a future for him in Atlanta past this season. He'll start the season as the Falcons' starting Right Guard, in what will likely be his last season in Atlanta.

2. Shahbaz Ahmed

Rooke Shabaz Ahmed out of Temple is going to have a tough time making this roster. He's not very well developed as a pass or run blocker, and will have to show the coaches that he can actually perform at this level in order to make the roster. It's a longshot thought, so he'll have to play extremely well.

 

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Right Tackle​

1. Ryan Schrader

Ryan Schraeder is arguably the best Offensive Lineman on this Falcons roster. He's an excellent pass blocker and can handle his own in the run game as well. At 6'7 300lbs, the man holds down the right side of the line. He's started 30 games for Atlanta in the past 3 years, so the experience he brings will be extremely valuable in keeping Matt Ryan upright. Schraeder is going to be a part of this Falcons' team for a long time.

2. Bryce Harris

Bryce Harris has had a difficult time finding a solidified spot for himself in this league since he entered it in 2012. He's played in 35 games, starting 4 of them, but hasn't really shown that he has what it takes to be a starting Offensive Lineman in this league. He will probably make this roster, but don't expect him to see any playing time past the preseason.