Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart 2019 Falcons Depth Chart

Offseason Moves

Limited cap space kept Atlanta from making too many splashy moves besides bringing in Jamon Brown from the Giants for offensive line depth. On defense, they retained one of their foundational pieces in defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, but a similarly foundational piece departs from the offense in running back Tevin Coleman. Although Coleman has been predominantly used throughout his career as the second running back behind Freeman, he always saw the field and served as one of the premier change-of-pace backs in the league. Replacing him in that role will be second-year back, Ito Smith, who looked capable in flashes last season.

In the draft, many pundits expected the Falcons to address their struggling defense, but instead, they used their two first-round picks on offensive linemen Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary, suggesting that the front office viewed the defensive issues as the result of injuries rather than lack of talent. With Jones, Neal, and Allen returning, we shall see.

Perhaps the biggest offseason moves occurred in the coaching staff. Dan Quinn remains head coach, but he also takes on the defensive coordinator role, replacing Marquand Manuel. On the other side of the ball, Steve Sarkisian has been replaced by Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator, who returns to the Falcons after four years coaching the Buccaneers.

Looking Ahead

The familiarity between Ryan and Koetter should allow for an easy offseason transition which should help the offense to again become among the league’s five best. In both the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Koetter and Ryan’s passing offense ranked third in the league, proving the potency of their connection. Ryan is still capable of his former MVP form, and Jones and Ridley are just the weapons to help him prove it. The addition of multiple offensive linemen only cements the faith the organization has in Ryan and the offense. With the return of Freeman, one of the best runners in the NFL, the rushing attack should also improve to roughly its 2017 status as 13th best in the league.

The defensive unit should also be improved despite the lack of flashy signings. Jones and Neal are two of the best in the league at their respective positions, while Jarrett, Beasley, and Takkarist McKinley form the core of a young, athletic defensive front. While this unit will probably never be elite, it should be at least competent, and competence is all that the offense should need to win games.

Simply put, this team is better than the 7-9 record from last year would indicate. The offense is littered with stars and bolstered by a young, promising offensive line, while the defense has playmakers in the secondary and athletic pass rushers on the line. Another sub-.500 season would be as disappointing as it would be unexpected. Atlanta has the talent to win double digit games in 2019, and if the team fails to do so, the 2020 Falcons could look a lot different from the 2019 squad, both on the sideline and on the field.