With the NFL trade deadline just hours away, the Atlanta Falcons could attempt to get active in order to help give the team a spark on offense. With injuries hitting wide receivers and the offensive line struggling to protect Matt Ryan, the Falcons could use another addition. However, that is not expected to happen as head coach Dan Quinn denies any roster moves are being made on Tuesday.
The Falcons have been linked to a number of trade deals heading into the deadline but general manager Thomas Dimitroff says that is not something he is interested in. Dimitroff told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he does not believe in mid-season trades simply because it is difficult for a player to come in and learn the system immediately and be effective. Quinn admits that is his philosophy as well.
"One of the good things about Thomas and I and our connection is that's not something where we just wait until one time to make those kind of decisions," said Quinn, via the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "Those are conversations that we have all the way through. If there is ever a chance to, like we've said all along, to improve or help our team in any way, we'll definitely consider those. But there is nothing that is a topic tonight, not more so than any other time."
That means those trade rumors surrounding Roddy White are not happening. The wide receiver is not having the year he was hoping for after back-to-back catchless games. He is coming along in the last few games, but many NFL experts believed the Falcons could trade him considering the value he holds in the league. White made it clear that he is not going anywhere and plans to remain a Falcon for the rest of his career.
I haven't heard any of that," White said, via ESPN.com. "I'm a Falcon. I'll be a Falcon for life. I've dedicated everything I've got to this team and this organization. I'm going to continue to do that. I'm going to continue each and every week to get better, be a better football player and try to win."
The Falcons would be wise to look at the trade deals for Joe Thomas or Alex Mack from the Cleveland Browns. Both players would be costly but a huge upgrade for the Falcons. However, according to Mack via a statement released by the Browns, he will not be waiving his no-trade clause leaving the Falcons to stay put with their current offensive line.
The Falcons are preparing to play the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9 as Blaine Gabbert is expected to start. This could be a game the offense finally finds its rhythm. Matt Ryan has been taking full blame for the poor performance from the unit, but the realistic outlook is that the line is struggling with penalties, turnovers are a huge issue and injuries have hit Leonard Hankerson and Nick Williams. The team is in need of a big performance to gain momentum before facing the Carolina Panthers.