Atlanta Falcons 2015 Projected Pro Bowlers

The 2015 Atlanta Falcons look to get back into the postseason after two consecutive sub-.500 seasons in 2013-14.  Fortunately for the Dirty Birds, Atlanta has many talented stars in its roster in all three phases of the game.  Just how many Atlanta Falcons play well enough this fall to merit Pro Bowl consideration?

-= Related: Atlanta Falcons: Three 1st Half Litmus Test Games =-

Last year the team sent QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones, and Return Specialist Devin Hester to the glorified exhibition game played in Glendale, Arizona.  You could consider Placekicker Matt Bryant as one of the biggest snubs from the Pro Bowl in 2014.

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Long-time Wideout Roddy White is a four-time participant in the league’s All-Star Game.  Safety William Moore earned a selection in 2012.  The highly drafted youngsters of OT Jake Matthews and CB Desmond Trufant both have the makeup of a Pro Bowl caliber players.  Perhaps both could make their first appearance this winter.

Even at 6-10, the 2014 Atlanta Falcons had a decent representation in Glendale last January.  Should the Falcons play somewhere close to .500 football, I envision that the Dirty Birds could get anywhere from three to six selections, depending on which NFC team makes a Super Bowl run.

I believe that Atlanta’s passing attack will once again be one of the League’s most lethal, even under new Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan where his zone blocking scheme will likely feature many designed runs.  The Atlanta Falcons inability to run the football efficiently the last three seasons forced Matt Ryan to drop back far too many times for a porous offensive line to keep him clean and upright.

Matt Ryan will again likely complete over 65% of his passes for around 4,000 yards and 25 plus touchdown passes.  To me, that’s strong enough of a season to merit Pro Bowl consideration nearly every season.  If he stays healthy, consider Matty Ice a perennial lock to earn a selection for the next five seasons.

Julio Jones will play on the last year of his rookie deal in 2015 if his agent and Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff cannot reach a contract extension before the preseason.  Jones is one the best vertical threats in the NFL and given his playmaking ability he will likely earn his 3rd trip to the Pro Bowl in 2015, assuming he stays healthy of course.

Desmond Trufant has all the tools to become a great shutdown cornerback in the NFL.  He has great football instincts, high football intelligence, and plays with poise.  In a Dan Quinn defense, expect Trufant to elevate his game even more as a third-year player and earn his first selection this winter.

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And let’s not forget about Devin Hester who is arguably the best return man the game has ever seen.  He bounced back to the Pro Bowl in 2014 in his first year working with Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong in Atlanta after a prolific career with the Chicago Bears.  If Devin takes two returns to the house this fall and contributes in Shanahan’s offense in a positive way, I believe that his name alone will get him back to the NFL All-Star Game.

Like I said, Atlanta could send anywhere between 3 and 6 players to the 2015 Pro Bowl.  While there are about eight players that could make it in 2015, I see QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones, CB Desmond Trufant, and PR/WR Devin Hester representing the Atlanta Falcons in this glorified exhibition.

Next: Atlanta Falcons: Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2015

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