Atlanta Falcons

Add the Atlanta Falcons to the growing list of NFL teams unlikely to have much player participation during voluntary offseason workouts. 

In a statement released through the NFL Players Association, Falcons players said "many" of them won't participate in the club's offseason program because of COVID-19 concerns:

A statement from the Atlanta Falcons players: pic.twitter.com/aQzuWhKppH

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) April 16, 2021

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, NFLPA president JC Tretter has told players "the union is pushing for an all-virtual offseason—and would urge players to boycott if teams conduct in-person OTAs this spring."

Pelissero noted that around only 300 out of 2,500 players in the NFL have workout bonuses attached to their contracts that would be lost if they skip organized team activities. 

Each of the teams that has had players opt out of voluntary offseason work has cited concerns about the pandemic, but the NFL and NFL Players Association also failed to reach agreement on protocols for offseason activities. 

Per ESPN's Dan Graziano, the NFL issued a memo to all 32 teams on Wednesday after those failed negotiations with the union. The memo stated the only portion of the offseason that will be mandatory is minicamps in June. 

Per Daniel Valentine and Jack Browne of The Score, the Falcons have become the 11th team that have had players announce many or all of them wouldn't be participating in the voluntary offseason program.   

The Atlanta Falcons and return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract Thursday.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the news. Patterson, who plays wide receiver and running back on offense, spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears. He earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections in 2019 and 2020.

A 2013 first-round pick who struggled to break out as a wide receiver, Patterson has found his niche as an all-purpose player. His 29.8 yards per kick return rank second-highest in NFL history behind only Gale Sayers, a number made more impressive by recent rule changes that have curbed kickoff returns.

Patterson's eight career kickoff returns for a touchdown are tied with Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington for the most in NFL history.

"It's football," Patterson said in November of his all-purpose role in Chicago. "It's something I've been doing my whole life. When my number is called, I just have to go out there and try to make a play for my team."

The Falcons will be Patterson's fifth NFL team. He previously played for the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Bears.

The Raiders were the only team for whom Patterson didn't earn first-team or second-team All-Pro honors.

Atlanta was one of the NFL's worst kick-returning outfits last season, averaging 20.5 yards per return, 25th in the league. Only the Miami Dolphins (12) returned fewer kicks than the Falcons (20). 

Having hired a new head coach and general manager, the Atlanta Falcons appear to be starting over this offseason. But that doesn't mean they're guaranteed to target a quarterback in the top five of the 2021 NFL draft.

NBC Sports' Peter King reported "lots of people around the league feel" the Falcons will take Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 overall pick, though King noted "that could be predraft logical thinking without any real knowledge."

Atlanta is in a somewhat tight spot because the first three picks are likely to be quarterbacks.

Trevor Lawrence has been projected to the Jacksonville Jaguars from the moment they were guaranteed to select first overall. ESPN's Adam Schefter was similarly definitive about Zach Wilson winding up with the New York Jets:

It appears the Jets have now locked in to a QB at the No. 2 spot in the draft. Is there any question left that it will be Zach Wilson?@AdamSchefter: "I sent him a text yesterday. I said, 'Welcome to New York, Zach, officially.'" pic.twitter.com/jOnJavVlzR

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 6, 2021

And the San Francisco 49ers will presumably target the position as well after having swapped first-round picks and given up their 2022 and 2023 first-rounders in order to move up to No. 3.

As a result, the Falcons could be stuck in a position where they might have to settle for a quarterback they aren't totally enamored with because he's the best one available. If that is the case, then looking at another position would be sensible.

Matt Ryan is also under contract through 2023, so the franchise doesn't need to kick him out the door right now. His deal also makes it difficult to move on next year. Cutting him or trading him would trigger a $40.5 million dead cap hit while saving $8.1 million, per Spotrac. As a post-June 1 departure, the savings would climb to $23.8 million and the dead money would be spread across 2022 ($24.9 million) and 2023 ($15.6 million).

Going after Pitts would provide immediate help to the passing game while potentially adding a foundational piece of the offense for the future.

Per Stathead, only three tight ends in draft history have gone in the top five. Pitts would deservingly be the fourth if he's off the board that early.

Florida listed him at 6'6" and 246 pounds, and he ran an unofficial 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the school's pro day. Good luck trying to defend him.

Kyle Pitts' 40-yard dash clocked in at 4.44u.

That speed at 6'6" and 246 lbs though 👀 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/qjysreMifF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 31, 2021

The Gators star caught 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games as a junior. Sometimes it wasn't fair watching him matched up against college defenders.

No prospect is ever guaranteed to be a hit in the NFL. But Pitts is arguably the best pass-catcher in the 2021 draft, and it's hard to see how he at least doesn't become a Pro Bowler at some point in his career.

Despite reports of disagreements between the two sides, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith are "aligned" ahead of the 2021 NFL draft, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Falcons currently hold the No. 4 pick of the draft, which could be used either for a future franchise quarterback or another impact player.

Chris Mortensen of ESPN recently reported (h/t Evan Birchfield of SB Nation) Fontenot wants to take a quarterback, potentially Trey Lance out of North Dakota State, while Smith wants to stick with veteran Matt Ryan under center.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets are expected to take quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, respectively, with the first two picks. The San Francisco 49ers are also projected to take a quarterback at No. 3 after trading up from No. 12.

It could leave the Falcons in position to take the best player available at another spot, including offensive tackle Penei Sewell and tight end Kyle Pitts.

A long-time NFL executive explained to Ledbetter the value of the two spots.

"He’ll make some plays, the tight end,” the executive said. “He’ll be effective maybe 15 plays out of 65. The left tackle has got to be there 65 out of 65. When you really look it, it’s hard to (take the tight end) if the left tackle is legit. If he’s just a position guy, you can get that later."

Ledbetter listed other possibilities for Atlanta that include receiver Ja'Marr Chase, quarterback Justin Fields or cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

Mina Kimes of ESPN argued there are a lot of good options for the Falcons:

Atlanta is the most interesting team in the draft cause every move at 4...

-take a QB
-trade down
-take Pitts

....is defensible!! 🤯

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) April 9, 2021

The Falcons don't need quarterback help for 2021, giving them flexibility to improve the squad in other ways after a 4-12 campaign. The organization can still build toward the future by drafting an eventual replacement for the 35-year-old Ryan.

The team's plans won't be revealed until April 29, but it appears the top decision-makers are in agreement.

The Atlanta Falcons reportedly aren't ruling out the possibility of trading the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, multiple teams have reached out to Atlanta to gauge its interest in trading the pick, and the Falcons "are open to moving" out of the No. 4 slot.

The Falcons are believed to be the first team on the board that isn't necessarily locked into its pick. The Jacksonville Jaguars are widely expected to take Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence first overall, and the New York Jets are believed to be taking a quarterback at No. 2 overall after trading Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers on Monday.

Also, the San Francisco 49ers moved up to the No. 3 overall pick in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, and it is likely that the Niners are going QB as well.

It is widely assumed that BYU quarterback Zach Wilson is the Jets' target at No. 2, which would leave the Niners to choose between Ohio State's Justin Fields, North Dakota State's Trey Lance and Alabama's Mac Jones.

Since San Francisco still has Jimmy Garoppolo under contract, it will have the benefit of taking a signal-caller and letting him learn behind a quarterback who took the 49ers to the Super Bowl just two seasons ago.

In his latest mock draft released Tuesday, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah projected the Niners to go with Jones, meaning the Falcons would have the option of Fields or Lance at No. 4 should they stay put and focus on a quarterback.

Atlanta could also take a top player at a different position or trade out of the spot to land a bounty of picks from another team desperate to find a franchise quarterback.

The Falcons are in a unique situation in that they have a former NFL MVP at quarterback in Matt Ryan, but Matty Ice is nearly 36 years old and coming off a 2020 season in which he went 4-12.

Ryan's 4,581 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions suggest he is far from done, but it may be time to find an heir apparent, especially with a new regime in place, led by head coach Arthur Smith.

At No. 4, the Falcons would likely have two elite passers to choose from, and any of them could potentially develop into a superstar, as the 2021 NFL draft's QB class is shaping up to possibly be among the best ever.

Trading out of the No. 4 spot could take Atlanta out of the running for a quarterback depending on how far it trades down, as the Detroit Lions at No. 7 and Denver Broncos at No. 9 may be in the market for a QB as well.

Trading down and continuing to rely on an older quarterback Ryan would be a risk of sorts, but it would likely also land the Falcons a future first-round pick and additional selections that might accelerate the timeline of their rebuild.

Atlanta has plenty of other needs on both sides of the ball, so trading down and then taking someone like Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons or Michigan pass-rusher Kwity Paye may not be the worst option.

In any event, the Falcons are now in a powerful position, and that is a great place to be in a draft that has seen the hype train push quarterbacks toward the top.

Quarterbacks are the major theme of the latest mock draft from Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, with signal-callers taken with each of the first four picks.

Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson remain the top two picks, while the San Francisco 49ers are projected to take Alabama's Mac Jones at No. 3. The Atlanta Falcons follow suit by selecting Trey Lance with the fourth pick.

Justin Fields falls to the Detroit Lions at No. 7 in this mock, leaving only two of the top seven picks for any other position.

Here is the latest projection from Jeremiah ahead of the first round on April 29.

       

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

3. San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

4. Atlanta Falcons: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

       

The first two picks have been penciled in for weeks, but it is now a near certainty the Jets will take a quarterback after trading away Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers.

San Francisco is the bigger wild card, presumably taking a quarterback after trading up from No. 12 to No. 3. Fields and Lance are considered more high-upside options based on their physical tools, but Jones could be the team's pick.

"I'm not surprised San Francisco traded up to No. 3," Jeremiah wrote. "I am surprised that everything you hear points toward Jones being the Niners' pick at No. 3."

This rumor has become a popular one as of late.

"I'm hearing a lot of noise about Jones being the 49ers' preference," ESPN's Todd McShay reported while also mocking Jones at No. 3.

It could let Lance slide to the Falcons at No. 4, which could be a perfect pick considering the North Dakota State product is relatively raw compared to others in the class.

Not only would the NFL be a huge step up in competition from the FCS, Lance was a redshirt sophomore this year who only played one game before declaring for the draft. Most of his on-field experience came as a freshman in 2019.

The Falcons can keep Matt Ryan under center in 2021 but still find his eventual successor early in the draft.

Meanwhile, this draft also allows those who already found their franchise quarterbacks to benefit with big-time playmakers sliding down the board. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals would add tight end Kyle Pitts, while the Miami Dolphins get receiver Ja'Marr Chase to help out Tua Tagovailoa.

It could lead to a lot of happy fans on draft day.

Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Trey Lance. 

Over the course of the next four weeks, NFL fans will hear those five names more than any others. 

And when the Atlanta Falcons arrive on the clock with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, at least two of those five quarterbacks will remain available. 

Regardless of who is still up for grabs, the Falcons have to select veteran Matt Ryan's eventual replacement. 

Why? Because all five have extremely high NFL ceilings, future drafts are less likely to contain that many high-potential quarterbacks (this could be the first with five signal-callers in the top 10), the Falcons haven't held a top-five pick since they drafted Ryan 13 years ago, and they very well might go another 13-plus years without a primo draft choice. 

Oh, and because the soon-to-be 36-year-old Ryan hasn't been a first- or second-team All-Pro—or even a Pro Bowler—since his MVP 2016 season. 

With a $26.9 million salary-cap hit and a $24.9 million dead-cap charge in the event of a post-June 1 release or trade, Ryan isn't going anywhere in 2021. But with more than $92 million in cap hits on the books for 2022 and 2023, he's likely running out of time in Atlanta. 

He has struggled statistically in three of his last four seasons, and the Falcons have won just 18 games with him under center since the start of 2018. Without a sudden change in his late-career trajectory, there's just no way the organization can justify continuing to pay him elite-quarterback money beyond the next season or two. 

Lawrence almost certainly will not be available when Atlanta's turn comes up, but the other four first-round-caliber quarterbacks in that group could all potentially benefit from a year or two (or three) in the stable. 

Wilson experienced just one big season against soft competition at BYU, Fields could use time to develop his pocket awareness and processing skills, Jones is practically a one-year starter coming from a system that made life easy, and Lance threw just 318 passes in his college career at North Dakota State. 

With quarterbacks likely to be chosen with the first three picks for just the third time in NFL draft history, the Falcons could be tempted to pick the best available non-quarterback in this class. But most experts—including those representing the B/R NFL Scouting Department—view only pass-catchers (Kyle Pitts from Florida, DeVonta Smith from Alabama, Ja'Marr Chase from LSU) or offensive linemen (Penei Sewell from Oregon) as being worthy of such a prime selection. 

It just so happens that the Falcons are heavily invested in those spots with Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Hayden Hurst at wide receiver and tight end, stalwart Jake Matthews at left tackle and recent Day 1 or Day 2 draft picks Kaleb McGary, Chris Lindstrom and Matt Hennessy also residing along the offensive line. 

The tantalizingly athletic Pitts could be viewed as an immediate upgrade over Hurst and a potential long-term replacement for the declining, 32-year-old Jones, but that addition would not be worth passing on a potential successor to Ryan at the most important position in the sport. 

There's a perception that quarterback transitions have to take place immediately these days, and it's true that fanbases and front offices have less patience than ever before. But this might be the ideal scenario for a slow, careful baton exchange. 

And it's not as though it's unprecedented in this era. Patrick Mahomes spent pretty much an entire season holding a tablet before turning in an MVP season in 2018, while Aaron Rodgers watched Brett Favre for basically three entire campaigns before launching his Hall of Fame career in 2008. 

Mahomes and Rodgers just happen to be two of the three highest-rated passers in league history. Both won Super Bowls and MVPs within four years of becoming regular starters. 

So even if Ryan suddenly recaptures that 2016 magic despite his age, his career course and the lack of Kyle Shanahan, it makes sense. But the odds are that won't happen anyway. 

In fact, the odds are Ryan is close to done. 

He threw nearly as many interceptions (six) as touchdowns (seven) on deep passing attempts in 2020, and he tossed a tied-for-league-high four picks while posting an ugly 73.1 passer rating in the fourth quarter of one-score games. 

It might not be time to move on just yet, but it's absolutely time to start grooming the heir apparent, whoever that may be. 

      

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter, @Brad_Gagnon.

The Atlanta Falcons will play a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London during the 2021 regular season, the team announced Thursday.

The exact details are yet to be determined, but the game will take place in October with the Falcons facing a non-divisional opponent.

Based on the potential home matchups for Atlanta, the options include the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Football Team.

The Falcons have made just one trip to London: a 22-21 loss to the Lions at Wembley Stadium in 2014. 

The upcoming matchup will count as a home game for Atlanta, an extra blow considering it will have nine road games as part of the new 17-game schedule next season. The squad will be left with just seven regular-season games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The NFL will be returning to London after canceling the international series in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time since 2007 all regular-season games were held within the United States.

Atlanta Falcons team owner and chairman Arthur Blank spoke out against Georgia's new restrictive voting laws Tuesday.

Blank said in a statement:

"Every voice and every vote matters and should be heard through our democratic process in Georgia. The right to vote is simply sacred. We should be working to make voting easier, not harder for every eligible citizen. To that end, AMBSE leadership, along with our nonprofit partners, conveyed that ideal directly to state officials in recent weeks. Our businesses and family foundation will continue to actively support efforts that advance voting access for the citizens of Georgia and across the nation."

Per Kelly Mena, Fredreka Schouten, Dianne Gallagher and Pamela Kirkland of CNN.com, "The new law imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to approach voters in line to give them food and water."

Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan called the law "the Christmas tree of goodies for voter suppression." And President Joe Biden told reporters it was "Jim Crow in the 21st Century" and "an atrocity."

The New Georgia Project, the Black Voters Matter Fund and Rise Inc. have already joined together to file a lawsuit against the new measure.

"In large part because of the racial disparities in areas outside of voting—such as socioeconomic status, housing, and employment opportunities—the Voter Suppression Bill disproportionately impacts Black voters, and interacts with these vestiges of discrimination in Georgia to deny Black voters (an) equal opportunity to participate in the political process and/or elect a candidate of their choice," the lawsuit read.

Per Nicole Chavez and Jill Martin of CNN.com, the National Black Justice Coalition is calling for the PGA Tour to cancel the upcoming Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, while MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark said the players are ready to discuss moving this season's All-Star Game out of Georgia.

WNBA players have also spoken out against Georgia's new law.

"SB 202 is a direct attack on the historic turnout and participation by voters during the November and January elections—elections where Georgians voted to elect the first Black and Jewish senators from Georgia," the WNBPA said in a statement.

The San Francisco 49ers leapfrogged them in the 2021 NFL draft, but the Atlanta Falcons' priorities in the first round may remain the same.

NBC Sports' Peter King reported the Falcons are "leaning QB, with logic having [Trey] Lance sitting behind Matt Ryan for two years, then playing."

The 49ers now sit at the No. 3 spot after having parted ways with their 2021, 2022 and 2023 first-round picks. ESPN's Adam Schefter spoke to a source who said that Jimmy Garoppolo "is here to stay" and "our guy this year."

But generally a team doesn't act that aggressively—when it's originally slotted at No. 12 no less—unless it is looking to add a quarterback.

That could put the Falcons in a tough spot, but they wouldn't necessarily be reaching for a QB if the Niners, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets all target the position, too. Four quarterbacks (Lance, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson) were ranked among the top eight prospects in Bleacher Report's Big Board 1.0.

As King wrote, Ryan isn't going anywhere in the immediate future despite Atlanta starting over with a new head coach (Arthur Smith) and general manager (Terry Fontenot).

Parting ways with the four-time Pro Bowler would be a costly venture in 2022 as well. Cutting him before June 1 would trigger $40.6 million in dead money while saving just $8.1 million, per Spotrac. As a post-June 1 cut, the savings would increase to $23.8 million, but the dead money would still spread across 2022 ($24.9 million) and 2023 ($15.6 million).

Rookies are typically slotted into the starting job at some point during their first season. Eli Manning's two Super Bowl rings couldn't prevent him from getting benched in favor of Daniel Jones.

But the Kansas City Chiefs showed with Patrick Mahomes how a gradual approach can work. And of all the incoming QB prospects, Lance probably needs a year to learn more than anybody. He has just one full season of starting experience under his belt, and he made just one appearance during the fall football season after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the FCS to adopt a spring calendar.

If Lance is still on the board, then the North Dakota State star would be a nice fit in Atlanta.