TAKING STOCK: 2022 ATLANTA FALCONS

BY ADAM GREENE

Math can be weird. Because up until the middle of December, math told us that the Atlanta Falcons were legitimately in the NFC playoff hunt in defiance of the evidence of our own eyes. Well, in spite of math trying to fool everyone, the Falcons did not make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.

Quarterback Matt Ryan, in his 14^th season was fine, completing 67 percent of his passes for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but those are hardly the numbers he usually puts up. His attempts and completions were both down, as was his team.

New head coach Arthur Smith was brought in to right the ship and while they outperformed the 2020 Falcons, this was a season to forget.

ATLANTA FALCONS

2021-22 Record: 7-10, third place NFC South

Playoffs: N/A

NOW WHAT?

Here’s the thing. The Falcons need to set Matt Ryan free. He might not be the same guy he was in 2016 when he won the MVP, but he’s an above average NFL starter and one that plenty of teams could use to get into the Super Bowl conversation. None of those teams are the Falcons. Atlanta is in bad shape, $6.590 million over the cap right now with a losing roster that looks that way on paper. They’ve reportedly got wide receiver Calvin Ridley on the trade block, so why stop there? Why not blow it up and start all over?

FREE AGENCY

No one irreplaceable is walking out the door on Atlanta’s roster. If they want to forgo the rebuild and go ahead and aim at 6-7 wins again, they can bring back Cordaelle Patterson and Russell Gage on offense, but I simply don’t see the point. They need to cut bait and cut players, take their salary cap medicine this season and go to battle with some low cost options like Emmanuel Sanders, Chris Conley and Mohamed Sanu. Sign Mitchell Trubisky to play QB and focus on drafting the next guy in 2023.

DRAFT

Speaking of the draft, Atlanta picks at No. 8 and I had them selecting Garrett Wilson, wide receiver out of Ohio State there to replace Ridley, for whom they could get a first rounder. If they get that compensation and another for Ryan, then maybe they roll the dice on one of the young quarterbacks at the later pick. They have to do something to keep from spinning their wheels for the fifth consecutive season.

The more I think about, with Smith’s connection to the Tennessee Titans, Ryan to Tennessee in exchange for Ryan Tannehill and a second rounder sounds pretty good to me for both squads.

NFC SOUTH

With both Tom Brady and Drew Brees now out of the NFC South, Ryan (as of right now) is the best QB in the division. Again, he should not be there on opening day. There’s no way the Bucs sit on their hands with their own quarterback position with a loaded team. New Orleans has their own salary cap issues, so they might be opening a fire sale as well. I see just one team from this division making the postseason and it’s not Atlanta.

So toss in the dynamite and start over.

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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