Leonard Hankerson has been a breakout star for the Atlanta Falcons this season. The wide receiver came on in free agency and quickly replaced Roddy White on the depth chart as Matt Ryan's second favorite target on the field. However, a hamstring injury has kept him off the field for the past two weeks. Hankerson is expected to play in Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts and the quarterback is happy to see his teammate healthy.
According to ESPN's Vaughn McClure, Hankerson has been limited in practice this week, but is expected to play in Week 11. That is good news for a Falcons' offense that has been struggling to find momentum over the past four weeks. Ryan has been part of those issues while the passing game has simply not been what the team needs. According to Ryan, that could change with Hankerson back on the field.
"Hank has had a great year for us when he's been able to go," Ryan said via ESPN.com, "and I think having him back opens up a lot of things for everybody. It makes us a better offense. And so, certainly good to have him out there practicing today."
The Falcons are not saying exactly what Hankerson's impact will be upon his return. It will also be interesting to see what his return does for Roddy White who is experiencing one of his most quiet seasons in the league. Head coach Dan Quinn stressed that getting White involved will be critical for the Falcons moving forward, but having Hankerson along with an improving Jacob Tamme on the field means the targets will be sparse for someone. So far White has been on the outside looking in, but Quinn expects that to change.
"It's an important guy for us, and I want to make sure that gets stressed," Quinn said, via ESPN.com. "Is there going to be a game where he has this many targets, that many targets? I won't put a number on them, but I will say for us to be at our best, we've got to use everybody, and Roddy's certainly an important part of that. Moving forward, I would think, for sure, he'd be a significant factor for us."
Looking to improve in any way possible, the Falcons could be eyeing a roster addition to help the defense. The secondary has been hit hard with injuries as Robert Alford, William Moore, and Ricardo Allen have all been dealing with issues. All three players have been limited in practice this week, but a roster addition would certainly help. According to McClure, the Falcons could be circling the DJ Swearinger pool after the safety was released by the Houston Texans. The Falcons have shown interest in the safety before, but missed out on acquiring him. It is unclear if the team is still thinking of him as an option, but Moore admits it could certainly help the team.
"To be honest with you, I haven't really watched him recently, but if he's still the same player he was at first, he would be an addition to any team," said Moore, via ESPN.com. "I like the way he plays. From what I hear, he has the knowledge for the game. And he's a fierce competitor. If you have smarts to go along with that, you can make it in any system."