The Atlanta Falcons made it to the 2012 NFC championship game because they had Michael Turner carrying the rushing load, Tony Gonzalez as a safety blanket and a fully healthy tandem of Roddy White and Julio Jones. They made Matt Ryan's job extremely easy. However, in the two seasons since it has been a very different story for the Falcons who have been resting at the bottom of the rankings and are now rebuilding under new head coach Dan Quinn. Having yet to make any roster cuts before free agency, the offensive side of the ball is getting a lot of attention.
Ryan needs playmakers. Behind a shaky offensive line and injuries at both the running back and wide receiver positions, things have not been so smooth for the quarterback. NFL.com outlines an offseason plan for the Falcons and it starts with getting big names in free agency or the draft to help out. According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the first change could be the release of Steven Jackson who has been a failed experiment over the past two years. With one more season remaining on his contract, the Falcons save $3.75 million by cutting him. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has already endorsed the future of Devonta Freeman as a starter which all but guarantees Jackson's release.
The other player that could be on the outside looking in is Harry Douglas. General manager Thomas Dimitroff told the media at the NFL scouting combine that Atlanta had a big decision to make on Douglas. The receiver is one year removed from posting a career-high season breaking the 1,000 yard mark. He has been a trust third option for Ryan alongside Jones and White, but he would also save the team $3.5 million if cut. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Falcons are making a contract for Eric Weems a priority in free agency which could force Douglas out. Weems would be an affordable option and less of a cap hit than Douglas.
The Falcons must re-tool the offense. Outside of Jones, every wide receiver is above 30. Freeman is a talent, but needs another back to run tandem with. According to ESPN, Baltimore Ravens' rusher Just Forsett along with Mark Ingram could be favorites in free agency to help out. The Falcons might not look to big names at the wide receiver position, but could target draft stars like Amari Cooper, Chris Conley and DeVonta Parker in the first or second rounds. That would help Ryan entering 2015.
