Falcons ranked as sixth-most likely team to improve in 2021
After having three consecutive seasons of going 7-9 or worse, the Falcons are in dire need of turning things around. The team brought in a new general manager and head coach to help get back on track, but Atlanta will need more than that to return to the playoffs.
Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus compiled a ranking of the top six teams he feels are most likely to improve in 2021, and the Falcons came in at No. 6 on his list. According to Treash, the team isn’t in as bad of shape as the record would indicate, pointing out the number of close losses.
“The Falcons are in “salary cap hell” this offseason, but they were also one of the unluckiest teams of the 2020 season when analyzing their actual win total compared to their WAR-implied total. Seven games of their games were decided by five points or fewer, none of which resulted in an Atlanta win. Their early-season collapses to the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears stand out. One can expect the Falcons to improve by default, as their roster isn’t missing many vital cogs.”
Treash goes on to say that the Falcons should consider parting with veteran quarterback Ryan and look for his replacement in the draft.
“Atlanta should strongly consider parting ways with [Ryan] before it’s too late, even with his headache of a contract. It’s fine if the team opts not to do so, but what wouldn’t be fine is if it decides to not pursue Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft. That’s true even if it requires trading up from the fourth pick to the third to ensure no team leapfrogs them. Otherwise, Atlanta could trend toward quarterback purgatory — an ugly state for any franchise to be in.”
It’s true the Falcons don’t have an easy path back to success, but I disagree that the team should trade up to get a quarterback. Atlanta is 26th in terms of cap space and last in terms of the number of players on the roster. Trading up would require the team to give up too much draft capital that should instead be used to fill out the roster.
The best case scenario where the Falcons can win now is to trade out of the top five and bring in a haul of draft picks. However, the quarterback market has recently been diminished with trades involving Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, and Carson Wentz. Free agency could further diminish the value of Atlanta’s No. 4 pick if other teams find their quarterback before the draft.
