NFL team reports:
The Falcons seek to better protect Matt Ryan; the Browns have loaded up on talent but also big personalities; the Packers could see a top-10 defense and revitalized offense.
Atlanta went all out this offseason to make its offensive line bigger, better and more athletic. The Falcons signed guards James Carpenter, Jamon Brown and Adam Gettis in free agency. Then they drafted Boston College right guard Chris Lindstrom and Washington right tackle Kaleb McGary in the first round. If all of the new faces add up to an improved offensive line, then this offseason should be considered a success.
However, because the Falcons used so many of their resources on one problem, they’re taking a big risk. Atlanta could have used more depth at a few defensive positions — notably safety and linebacker — and might have gone overboard trying to address the offensive line. If it doesn’t work out, then this offseason is going to be considered an unqualified failure for general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn.
Can Clayborn and Cominsky save Atlanta’s pass rush?
Safety and linebacker depth are nice, but the one spot the Falcons absolutely needed to add more help at this offseason is the edge position, which was a serious sore point last season. The Falcons finished No. 22 in the league with 37 sacks in 2018.
“The people who played the best were Grady (Jarrett) and Jack (Crawford) . ... In the interior, I was impressed by their ability to hit it on the move, and both from the pass rush standpoint were active,” Quinn told The Athletic.
“They met the standard of what I was hoping for. Past that, I didn’t think we met the standard . ... That’s really bad.”
Bringing back former defensive end Adrian Clayborn in free agency was a steal for the price (up to $4 million) and picking up Charleston’s John Cominsky in the fourth round was probably their best pick of the draft.
Clayborn was the team’s most consistent pass rusher his last time in Atlanta (2015 to 2018), and Cominsky has serious sleeper potential.
However, it’s worth asking if the Falcons did enough to boost their pass rush overall. Vic Beasley has had a very disappointing couple of seasons since he led the NFL in sacks in 2016. He had 151⁄2 sacks in 2016, but he’s posted only 10 over the last two seasons.
Takkarist McKinley hasn’t quite broken out the way one would hope for a first-round pick. If Atlanta can’t get more pressure with a four-man rush, it’s going to put a tremendous amount of pressure on the back end of its defense.
Who is ready to step up at cornerback?
Speaking of the defensive backfield, the Falcons should be much improved in this area as long as they stay healthy. Starting safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal are returning after suffering devastating seasonending injuries last year, and Damontae Kazee is likely moving over to the nickel spot to replace Brian Poole.
However, the situation at outside cornerback is dicey. Desmond Trufant had a brutal season in 2018 and Isaiah Oliver wasn’t any better. Robert Alford has also moved on to play with the Cardinals. If Trufant and Oliver don’t make serious strides to improve from last year, then Atlanta will need both Ohio State’s Kendall Sheffield and Washington’s Jordan Miller to step up and take on significant roles as rookies. If they can’t, the Falcons’ defense might be vulnerable against the pass.