Dirty Bird Gazzete

[Studley021]

End Of Season Review/ Off Season Preview

ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Disappointing is not the word to describe the Falcon's season this past year. It was a complete disaster in the eyes of the fans and the state of Georgia. Matt Ryan looked like anything but a franchise quarterback during his 9th season as the Falcon's starting QB. At the age of 32, you have to think his days might be numbered as the Falcon's starting QB. The majority of fans will point to the lack of WR/TE options Ryan had at his disposal this year. Other than Julio Jones who set the league on fire once again with a 82/1279/8TD stat line, the WR/TEs for the Falcons were all but invisible this past year. Tevin Coleman emerged as another star on offense with 1328 yards running the ball along with 12 TDs. These numbers put him in the race for OPOY honors. The 2016 draft proved to be a fruitful draft for the new owner. 1st and 2nd round Defensive picks Lamarcus McBride (MLB) and Kaiwi Riley (FS) led the way with tackles and impact plays as Rookies. Big things are expected during their Sophomore campaigns. (C) Drew Bell proved to be a steal during the 3rd round of the draft. He was moved to LG at the end of the year and is a star in the making at an 88 OVR. If the Falcon's can limit their turnovers during the 2017 campaign, the sky is the limit for this team. The defense was much improved during 2016 and the games were mostly close for this team.


DRAFT NEEDS
The Falcons look to address the offensive side of the ball in the draft. I would expect an early round offensive player during the draft like a WR or TE to help Ryan regain his status as a top tier QB. RT seems to be a need for the Falcons as well along with depth along the defensive side of the ball in the later rounds of the draft. Atlanta fans may not be surprised if a QB is taking in the mid rounds to satisfy as a backup/future replacement to Matt Ryan.

FREE AGENCY
Depth is the key word during free agency for the Falcons. There may be a splash during free agency, but the class seems to be a weak one, so I wouldn't expect too much flare during the free agency period for the Falcons. I'm expecting depth to be added to the LB core and WR core during free agency.

Some people in the media believe this is the year the Falcons can make it back to the postseason. The young guns of last years draft class sure are helping the hype train. Let's just hope Dan Quinn gets his act together and gets the team working to a common goal which is the Playoffs and ultimately a Super Bowl Birth. The leash on Quinn seems to be tight heading into the new season.

 

[Studley021]

2017 Season Preview Dirty Bird Style
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
The Atlanta Falcons have had another exciting offseason for their fans. This issue of the Dirty Bird Gazzette will explain the offseason moves accomplished by the Falcons and what it means for the 2017 season.

Free Agency
The Falcons made a big splash in free agency with the signings of Guard Justin Pugh and LOLB Gerald Hodges Jr. These two players will provide significant upgrades. Rookie sensation Drew Bell has been moved from C to RG to maximize his abilities. Along with this move, Jon Asamoah was moved to C to replace Bell. WIth these moves, it made all the sense in the world for the Falcons to sign Pugh to fill in at LG. With Tackles Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder holding down the outside, the Falcons have put together a dominating force on the inside. Running up the gut was something the Falcons seemed to struggle at this year and the hope is this weakness has been addressed. Aging LB Justin Durant seemed to have lost a step to the Falcon's organization, so they decided to pick up a younger Hodges Jr. Durant is now quality depth at LB. Another notable addition in free agency was WR Jarrius Wright. The speedster adds quality depth to a depleted WR core from Roddy White's retirement. Several other depth players were added during free agency.

DRAFT
The Falcons once again snagged 3 potential starters in the first three rounds of the draft. WR Leland Milliner was drafted with the #11 overall pick. He seems to be the perfect receiver to complement Julio Jones. Although not the tallest receiver in the world at 5'11", he makes up his height disadvantage with speed, route running, and hands like glue. Shawn Pendleton was stolen in the 2nd round at TE to add another weapon on offense for the Falcons. He looks to start immediately in place of Levine Toilolo. The third round pick was another steal of the draft, Ted Brewster. The all around quarterback from Liberty university provides the depth needed for the Falcons at QB. Preseason playing time has proved to the organization that Ryan is on a short leash due to the talent of the rookie. CB Ameriol Russel was picked in the 5th round and is a lock to take over return duties from Devin Hester's departure. All in all another solid draft for the Falcons who primarily focused on the offensive side of the ball.

Season Outlook
The first quarter of the season will show what these Falcons are made of with matchups between the Bills, Bucs (twice), and division champion Panthers. A new offense has been installed with hopes of boosting the Bird's scoring output from a year ago. The defense was a "middle of the road" defense that looks to improve in the coming year because of the extra year of chemistry. Optimism is in the air for this group of players. Can Ryan bring the offense together and fly high? Or will the season end with the torch passed to Ted Brewster? The majority of the fans hope that Brewster is able to learn behind Ryan in the coming years. Dan Quinn's time on the hot seat has officially begun.