Jake Matthews progressing after postseason surgery

The Atlanta Falcons are facing an uphill battle toward the 2015 season on the heels of a disappointing finish in 2014. Still, there is a bit of optimism surrounding the hiring of Dan Quinn as head coach, and with another draft class on the way and rumors of $30 million available to spend in free agency, the roster could see a significant overhaul.

However, 2014 first round selection Jake Matthews is central to the future of the club’s offensive line, and the former Texas A&M star battled injury issues for the majority of his rookie campaign. Matthews flashed signs of brilliance when healthy, but he also was forced to undergo surgery to repair a Lisfranc tear in his foot following the Week 17 loss to Carolina.

ESPN’s Vaughn McClure provides this quote from GM Thomas Dimitroff on the current status of Matthews:

"“Jake is healing very well,” Dimitroff said. “He’s one of those guys (who) knows his body, takes really good care of how he approaches his body. So I’m not concerned about his recovery at all. He decided to go through the procedure he went through because he thought it was the best way to get himself back healthy and ready to go at the beginning of the year. And we have no concerns that way.”"

Because of Matthews’ reputation as a technician coming out of college, it isn’t quite as worrisome that he could miss the entirety of offseason activities. On the other hand, it is never good when your left tackle is on the sidelines during the installation of a new offensive system, and that could spell trouble for Matt Ryan and company.

Jake Matthews must live up to his top-10 billing in order for the Atlanta Falcons to post a solid offensive line from side to side, and monitoring his healing process appears central to that goal.