The Falcoholic 7 hours ago
Falcons training camp battles: The reserve safety scuffle
Photo by Joe Robbins/ You’ve got several players contending for a couple of spots behind recuperating starters Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal. The Falcons didn’t take their issues at safety last year lightly. They had added Jordan Richards for his special teams acumen and had Damontae Kazee, which seemed like plenty until the Falcons improbably lost both their starters. Kazee largely thrived but Richards struggled to the point where Sharrod Neasman had to return and ride to the rescue, and heading into this year the Falcons had jettisoned Richards and elected to move Kazee to...
The Falcoholic Jul 11, 2019
Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Thursday, July 11
Some Falcons news and notes to start your Thursday. Hope you’ve recovered from Independence Day. It certainly took me far longer than expected. But enough of the past: It’s another Thursday morning, which means you’ve got a fresh set of Falcoholinks to start your day. What’s burning? The offseason is the perfect time to address some of the Atlanta Falcons’ burning questions, especially as the team prepares to suit up for training camp next week. The core of the defense was shattered early last season with the season-ending injuries to safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal, and...
The Falcoholic Jul 10, 2019
Falcons pass on supplemental draft players
The tradition of ignoring supplemental draft players continues. The Falcons haven’t selected a supplemental daft player since 1984. That’s when the first Terminator came out. It’s been awhile. Was that going to change in 2019? The Falcons were at Washington State safety Jalen Thompson’s workout, along with 25 other teams. The Falcons are notable shallow at safety with Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen coming off injury, they put Thompson through position drills, and a lot of his measurables indicate indicate he could be a Dan Quinn player. To be fair, there’s not a lot of success...
The Falcoholic Jul 9, 2019
Burning 2019 Falcons questions: Where will the defensive improvements come from?
Perhaps the photo will be a hint. As we continue to think about the 2019 Atlanta Falcons and what’s coming down the pike, let’s focus in on the defense overall and what’s possible going ahead. After a very sound 2017 season that saw the team’s young defensive stars like Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen and De’Vondre Campbell come into their own in major ways and the defensive line actually sack the quarterback, the unit plummeted in 2018 thanks to injuries and questionable roster decisions. In 2019, the team made some noticeable changes to help fix the...
The Falcoholic Jul 9, 2019
Burning 2019 Falcons questions: How soon will Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal be ready?
The team needs both guys back if 2019 is going to be a good year. I don’t have to tell you how decimated the 2018 Falcons were by injuries. Losing guys like Deion Jones and Devonta Freeman had a detrimental impact on the team. However, losing both starting safeties - Keanu Neal in game 1 and Ricardo Allen two games later - undoubtedly had the biggest impact on the defense. While it’s never ideal to lose players for the season, it’s better that they were lost early on. The hope of getting both guys back in 2019 is still there, but how soon will that happen? Let’s take a look at each...
The Falcoholic Jul 9, 2019
Falcons have until July 15 to work out an extension with DT Grady Jarrett
Things should be heating up with only six days remaining for a long-term deal. While the offseason headlines have been on coaching changes and a dramatically improved offensive line, the Atlanta Falcons will need to perform a magic act by keeping numerous Pro Bowl players under the cap. The team needs to worry about keeping Julio Jones, Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, and Austin Hooper together. All the preceding players should be signing top-five deals for their position, with many potentially setting the market. Thomas Dimitroff was in a tough spot after deciding to exercise Vic...
ClutchPoints Jul 6, 2019
3 areas of concern for the Falcons heading into 2019
“Twenty-eight to three” are four words fans of the Atlanta Falcons have heard for the past few years, usually from Saints fans who are referencing the Falcons’ collapse in Super Bowl LI. Atlanta was up by the score of 28-3 in the second half against the New England Patriots, only for Tom Brady and the […] The post 3 areas of concern for the Falcons heading into 2019 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
