The Atlanta Falcons have an offensive line in flux. The line has been one of the biggest downfalls for the team over the past two years as injuries have just decimated the depth on the roster. This year may or may not be the same story as several players are not 100 percent healthy and former starters are getting released just before the year begins. As the Falcons try and make last minute additions before Monday Night Football, is Jake Long going to sign?
The Falcons have had lingering interest in Long, but health concerns have prevented a contract for the former top draft tackle. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Long was cleared by Dr. James Andrews and will now work out for Atlanta with a contract expected. The Falcons need tackle help and right now Long is the best option available on the market at this time. Jake Matthews returned to practice, but his injury history makes the contract for Long necessary.
The interest in Long is just one of a number of moves the Falcons are making on the offensive line. The Falcons released Joe Hawley. They acquired Gino Gradkowski. They signed Mike Person. They traded for Andy Levitre. At this point, the starting line for the Falcons is anyone's guess. This could be a major issue for Atlanta considering offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan plans on running a zone blocking scheme which requires chemistry and players working in unison. So far there has simply not been enough time to make that work.
The Falcons have a lot riding on their offensive line. The run game is expected to be a focal point this season with Tevin Coleman getting the Week 1 start and Devonta Freeman working in as he continues to heal from a hamstring injury. If the offensive line cannot make the holes, there will be no ground game, something that was an issue last year.
Atlanta will face the fast moving defense of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. They will challenge the offensive line right away as fans hope to see Matt Ryan more upright in 2015. With Julio Jones and Roddy White making big predictions about the year to come, most of that relies on Ryan getting his throws in the pocket. White does not seem too concerned about the offense, predicting historic fantasy numbers for Jones.
"I don't know what the fantasy records are, but more than likely he will surpass whatever records are out there," White said, via ESPN.com. "I mean, you've seen him the past few years. He's on his 'A' game. He's ready to play. He's ready to go out there and do what he do week in and week out. The thing I love about Julio is just how consistent he's been each week just getting himself prepared mentally to go out there and play."