Atlanta Falcons Must Continue to Improve a Young Defense
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off of a season that saw their defense carry what was once the top offense in the NFL. With the offense remaining intact the focus should shift to adding to a young defense that will only get better.
Defensively the Atlanta Falcons are the best we have seen them in a number of years. With a high energy defense the Falcons kept what was a at times stagnant offense in games including against the eventual Super Bowl champs in the final game of the season.
The offense has problems outside of their players, it is a failure to execute and poor play calling that is the major problem. With little needed on offense the Falcons should focus the majority of their off-season and the draft on adding to the defense.
Outside of drafting a back-up quarterback it is hard to see many other offensive needs that the Falcons should address within the draft. Offensive guard is a position that the Falcons will look to improve but free agency is likely a better option.
With that in mind, the Falcons should use their draft picks primarily in the pursuit of making their defense quicker and adding to their pass rush. Losing Dontari Poe hurts but with the right draft pick the Falcon’s defense won’t miss a beat.
Resigning Poe is an option but very unlikely coming off of a prove it deal during which Poe effectively proved he is worth more than the Falcons are likely willing to pay.
Adding to the secondary and finding depth along the defensive line should be the Falcon’s focus. The secondary is strong but has little depth beyond it’s top two corners.
The defensive line will be losing players as well and the Falcons could look to sign or trade for a big impact player to pair with break out star Grady Jarrett.
No question, the Falcons have a busy off-season ahead of them one that will again be filled with questions a year after their historic collapse. The only real question for the the Falcons this season is if they can finally end Atlanta’s misery and bring a championship home?