10 HRS AGO - Will the Falcons truly turn over three spots on the offensive line, or will they try to make real improvements at two? The Falcons’ offensive line was one of the great strengths of the team throughout much of their magical 2016 run, but the number of times it has been a genuine asset instead of a liability over the last decade-plus is quite low. Atlanta heads into 2019 with Jake Matthews as a slam dunk top option at left tackle and Alex Mack as a still rock solid pivot, albeit one who is aging. Beyond that, they don’t have a single 2018 starter that is guaranteed to return, leaving the line as one of the great needs for this football team heading into next year. Earlier today we looked at how the line fared last year, and right now I want to look at the best way for the line to shake out and how I think it actually will when the dust settles on this Falcons offseason. Let’s get started by looking at potential additions. Free agency How high will the Falcons aim? If they intend to be Collapse

15 HRS AGO - Today’s Early Bird Report includes the Falcons’ biggest free agent decision as well as Mike Smith walking away from coaching Collapse

18 HRS AGO - A unit which struggled for the most part. The Atlanta Falcons came into the 2018 season expecting to field an upper-echelon offensive line, but were left disappointed after injuries and unexpected poor play saw the unit implode in front of Matt Ryan’s very eyes. The game of football is won and lost in the trenches, and with the offensive line taking a considerable step back as a whole in 2018, it’s not a surprise that the team lost more than it won. The offense was still top 10 in scoring with 25.9 points per game, but only averaged 16.2 points per game during the team’s season-crippling five-game losing streak. There was some good which came with the bad for the offensive line this season. We’ll look at both the good and the bad, in this article. *Note: Each player in this analysis is ranked by snap count — the first players you see are the lineman who played the most snaps, down to the ones who played the fewest amount of snaps. Jake Matthews 2018 PFF Grades: 79.1 overall - Ninth Collapse

1 DAY AGO - He’s done it! After previously being selected as an alternate for this year’s Pro Bowl, Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper will now participate in the game. It’s been announced that the 3rd-year tight end will replace Philadelphia Eagles TE Zach Ertz on the NFC Roster. Hooper finished the 2018 season as the 4th best tight end in terms of receptions, and 7th in receiving yards. Hooper’s 2018 season has by far been his best, as many fans entered the season questioning his role in the offense. Since then, Hooper has silenced his critics by putting up career-highs in targets (88), receptions (71), receiving yards (660), touchdowns (4), and now adding a Pro Bowl selection to his resume. He is the first Falcons’ tight end to participate in the event since Tony Gonzalez in 2013. The 2019 NFL Pro Bowl takes place on January 27, 2019 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. It will be televised nationally by ESPN and also simulcast on ABC. Collapse

1 DAY AGO - The Falcons found a hidden gem in the third-round nose tackle. Over the next week or so, we’ll look at the bright spots on this roster we didn’t have the time or energy to really praise during the regular season. After that, we’ll take a closer look at some of the players who didn’t meet our expectations. The Falcons were asleep at the wheel last offseason as they overlooked the offensive and defensive line. If there was a weak spot before all the injuries hit, it looked like the defensive line could be problematic. Atlanta waited until the third round to add a new defensive tackle. Plus who was Deadrin Senat? Fans watched as Maurice Hurst fell round after round but the Falcons instead snagged the big nose tackle from USF. It wasn’t expected he could be a n immediate starter. That expectation was wrong, even in week 1. The Falcons have been playing great against the run, especially rookie DT Deadrin Senat, who has had a few stops so far tonight. Good hand usage allowing for Collapse

1 DAY AGO - You probably don’t even need three, given their opponent. You may already be aware of this, but the Rams and Saints will meet up in the NFC Conference Championship Game next week. As a Falcons fan, the prospect of New Orleans playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a Super Bowl remains too awful to really comprehend, so there’s a lot at stake in this one. If you need convincing—or if you’re one of those fans who, thanks to advanced college football brain poisoning, think you should root for an in-division rival—here are three reasons to print off a Rams logo and slap it on your t-shirt this weekend. #1: The Rams are actually fun You have a choice between rooting for the Patriots, who are as inevitable as death and half as fun, or the high-flying Chiefs led by the NFL’s MVP. You have a choice between the Saints, who are dinking and dunking their way to victory with Michael Thomas and 15 gritty UDFAs, and the Rams, who have the league’s youngest head coach and a ton of legitimately fun Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - In our recent poll, some 35% of respondents said Schaub should be the backup in 2019. Earlier this offseason, we wrote about the team’s backup quarterback situation and our preferred plan for moving forward. In those pieces, we opined that the sun had set on the Matt Schaub era in Atlanta, and that despite his obvious value as a veteran presence, it was time for the Falcons to try to get a backup who could play at a higher level (and, probably, be cheaper) if push came to shove. I was curious to see what Falcons fans felt about the backup quarterback value, so I ran a quick Twitter poll that collected about 3,600 votes. To my eternal surprise, it seems like a plurality of fans actually want Schaub back. Who should be the Falcons backup QB in 2019?— The Falcoholic (@TheFalcoholic) January 13, 2019 In all, 35% of respondents went for Schaub, 26% for a draft pick (late rounders suggested), 25% for in-house option Kurt Benkert, and just 14% for another free agent, popular options Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - Koetter’s return sparked a massive mixed reaction. It summarized how the surprise hiring should be viewed. There was plenty of intrigue about who the Falcons were going to bring in as the next offensive coordinator. It was the third time Dan Quinn had to select a new offensive coordinator during his tenure. The decision to hire Kyle Shanahan worked wonders, as the offense produced historical numbers. Taking a gamble on Steve Sarkisian proved to be a largely frustrating two-year experience. Quinn had seen enough to justify moving on from Sarkisian, which created some buzz around the team. After taking a week to assess the viable options, Dirk Koetter was their choice as the man to get the Falcons back to their potent ways. Is it the right choice? There is reason for optimism to believe so, yet it’s hard to overlook the former head coach’s previous mistakes. Familiarity with Matt Ryan Giving Ryan the resources to play at an elite level is obviously a major priority. That starts with Collapse

3 DAYS AGO - It’s our favorite Eagles team against the Saints, plus Patriots-Chargers. Hello everyone, and welcome to Divisional Round Sunday. This is the most critical day of the postseason yet for the purpose of Falcons fans, who are left with little to root for other than any team beating the Saints. Let that happen today. This is your open thread for the day, plus some detail on each matchup. Enjoy! Chargers @ Patriots, 1:05 p.m. This is one I’m looking forward to. The Patriots have been the AFC’s dynasty for close to two decades now, and arguably the most successful dynasty in NFL history. As a New England-based Falcons fans, that’s been pretty annoying. Those days may continue, but we’re reaching a tipping point. Tom Brady had another quality season, but is visibly not the same quarterback this season. Rob Gronkowski is falling apart in front of our eyes, and the Pats are more dependent on their ground game than they have been in years. They’re still one of the best and certainly most Collapse