Atlanta Falcons

Todd Gurley has plenty to prove as he begins his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. 

The former Los Angeles Rams running back has been the subject of plenty of questions about how healthy his knees are and why he didn't get the ball more last season. 

Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter told William McFadden of the team's website that if Gurley's knees hold up, he shouln't have much trouble regaining his peak form.

"When healthy, you could argue he's the best back in the game. Yeah, he's had down years as far as the number of touches the last couple of years, but none of us really know—if you're not there, if you're not on the inside, you don't really know all the ins and outs of that. Todd is telling us that he's good to go and that he's healthy. When you watch his tape from last year, he definitely has times where he looks as good as ever. The question will just be: How often can he do it? How consistently can he do it?"

After rushing for more than 1,250 yards and 12 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, Gurley dropped off in 2019, tallying career lows in carries (223) and yards (857). 

Multiple factors might have contributed to that decline.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told ESPN's Lindsey Thiry in December that he was being "an idiot" with regard to Gurley's workload. Fellow running backs Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson also took away carries from him.

Yet Gurley's health remains a sticking point, especially after his trainer told CBS Sports' Dave Richard that he has an "arthritic component" to his surgically repaired knee. 

"The main question is, that no one seems to know, is what's his health status? What's his workload?” Koetter said on a media call in mid-May. "He averaged about 17 touches a game last year, which is a little bit lower than he had been when he was an All-Pro. We're just gonna have to find that out once we get here and get him working, get him up and running."

In his comments Tuesday, Koetter elaborated on his previously established concerns:

"I just think that the days of a running back carrying it 30 times in a game, I just don't see that happening much anymore. People tend to not appreciate how much running backs take a pounding in the NFL. And so, I know there's been a lot of talk about his carries being down, but he still had 15 carries a game, plus two catches a game. That's 17 touches out of your 64 that you're going to average [as a team].

"I would never pretend to be able to get inside of Todd's head to say did this refresh him? But again, he's 25 years old. He's been to the highest point you can go as a running back in this league. All I can go by is when I've talked to him, he sounds very excited. ... I think he will be energized, but we'll just have to see how healthy he is."

Gurley signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Falcons this offseason, which is well below the market value of a three-time Pro Bowler and 2017 Offensive Player of the Year.

If he can stay healthy in 2020 and regains his previous form, he could prove to be one of the year's biggest free-agent steals.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was complimentary of tight end Hayden Hurst during a Tuesday Zoom call with reporters. 

"He is for sure one of the fastest and most athletic tight ends I've ever played with," Ryan said (h/t Kelsey Conway of the team's official website). "He's a mismatch problem. He's going to create separation and win in different ways than those guys did."

The 35-year-old All-Pro added: "I've been incredibly impressed with Hayden's work ethic. He's got great speed, great athleticism. Wants to be a great player ... the effort, the attitude all of that stuff is there. He fits in well with the group of guys we have."

The Falcons traded with the Baltimore Ravens for Hurst when the new league year began in mid-March:

Hurst was selected 25th overall by the Ravens in the 2018 NFL draft. The 26-year-old tallied 512 yards and three touchdowns on 43 receptions across 28 games (four starts) in Baltimore.

The Falcons lost two-time Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper, who signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Cleveland Browns in free agency.

Hooper was Atlanta's third-most productive receiver last season with 787 yards and six touchdowns on 75 catches. All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley were first and second respectively.

The Falcons also signed All-Pro running back Todd Gurley on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. 

Atlanta finished 7-9 for a second straight season in 2019.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan thinks Colin Kaepernick should get a chance to play in the NFL again. 

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Ryan said Kaepernick "should have every opportunity to have a job and have a spot in this league."

Ryan also acknowledged to wishing he spoke out earlier but is now intent on "not (sitting) on the sidelines...silence isn't good enough."

Kaepernick's name has frequently been mentioned in relation to bringing greater attention to police brutality and systemic racism, especially in the wake of George Floyd's killing by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did address concerns voiced by some players, releasing a video last Friday in which he condemned the systemic oppression of black people and encouraged players to peacefully protest:   

Some players have called for the league to give Kaepernick a fair shot to play in the NFL to prove it's serious about committing to change.

"I think the NFL can start by signing Kap back," Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde, who was Kaepernick's teammate with the San Francisco 49ers from 2014 to 2016, told reporters Monday. "I think if they sign Kap back, that'll show that they're really trying to move in a different direction."

Kaepernick has gone unsigned since becoming a free agent in March 2017. The 32-year-old last played for the 49ers during the 2016 season when he protested police brutality and racial inequality by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem before games. He threw for 2,241 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 starts that season.

A fundraiser set up by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has raised more than $1 million to support the city's black community. 

Ryan announced on Twitter that more than 1,700 people have contributed to the fundraiser he initially set up June 5:

When Ryan first established the fundraiser, he wrote on Instagram he was pledging an initial contribution of $500,000 and committed to listening to members of Atlanta's black community how best to use the money to uplift businesses and organizations in the city:

"Last week I made a commitment to listening and learning, and one of the messages that hit home for me was the difference between reacting to a situation and responding to a situation. For far too long I have reacted to social injustice with empathy and silent support but failed to follow through with active support. I feel the time has come to RESPOND. For ALL of us to respond.

[...]

"Over the next few weeks/months I’ll be really listening to the needs of the community and working with black business leaders, sports figures, activists and local grassroots organizations to get guidance on how these donations can be most impactful."

In addition to Ryan's contribution, the Falcons announced general manager Thomas Dimitroff, head coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and CEO Rich McKay also made donations ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. 

Running back Todd Gurley reportedly passed a physical Monday to finalize his one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Gurley was able to travel to Atlanta for his physical for the first time since agreeing to a deal with the Falcons in April amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Gurley enjoyed five productive seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. He rushed for 5,404 yards and 58 touchdowns in 73 games. He added 2,090 receiving yards and 12 scores through the air.

A lingering left knee injury caused a sudden drop in his workload during the latter stages of the 2018 regular season and into the playoffs, though. He recorded just 11 touches in the team's 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

His 254 touches during the 2019 season represented his lowest total since his rookie year (2015), and he averaged only 3.8 yards per carry, a significant drop from 2018 (4.9).

Gurley downplayed concerns about the knee after the initial agreement with the Falcons.

"I know I'm still that guy," he told reporters. "Been doing this my whole life. It's just football."

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan said Friday he's taken part in some informal workouts with Gurley while teams awaited a resumption of offseason team activities amid COVID-19.

"I've gotten to work with Todd and he's awesome," Ryan told ESPN's Vaughn McClure. "Really, really good guy. A hard worker. He's super-smart. The stuff I was telling him one day, the next day he had it done. I was really impressed with his ability to retain information. You don't have to tell him twice. He's on it."

He added: "I think he's going to be an awesome fit for us. And I'm glad we have him."

If Gurley returns to peak form, the Falcons will own one of the NFL's most dangerous offenses with Ryan leading an aerial attack featuring wide receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley as top targets.

Atlanta is scheduled to open the preseason Aug. 14 against the Miami Dolphins followed by the regular season debut on Sept. 13 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Former Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Cardinals defensive end John Zook died Saturday morning at the age of 72.

Zook's brother, Dean, revealed the news to Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

According to Hummer, Zook stopped cancer treatment at the start of the year and connected with some of his former Falcons teammates during a Zoom conference call on Friday as a way of saying goodbye.

Zook entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1969, but he ended up on the Falcons via a set of trade. He played the first seven seasons of his career in Atlanta, never missing a game before he was eventually traded to the Cardinals, with whom he played his final four seasons.

He is best remembered for his time in Atlanta, where he registered the first safety in franchise history in 1971 and made the Pro Bowl in 1973.  

He also formed an impressive pass-rush combination with Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey.

"The most fun I had the whole time I played football was the time John and I had that ['73] season when we were both selected to the Pro Bowl," Humphrey said, per Hummer. "We had it down pat, man, I tell you. We figured out we were better together than we were individually."

Hummer noted Zook returned to his home state of Kansas following his football career and was close with a family that included three brothers and a number of nieces and nephews.

Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley has already made a strong impression on arguably the most important person in his new club: quarterback Matt Ryan.

The two stars have trained together in Southern California on several occasions already this offseason with Ryan getting the impression the tailback will be an "awesome fit" in Atlanta. 

"I've gotten to work with Todd, and he's awesome,'' Ryan told ESPN's Vaughn McClure. "Really, really good guy. A hard worker. He's super-smart. The stuff I was telling him one day, the next day he had it done. I was really impressed with his ability to retain information. You don't have to tell him twice. He's on it.''

Gurley agreed to sign with the Falcons on a one-year, $6 million deal earlier this offseason after the Los Angeles Rams unceremoniously cut him following a 2019 season in which his carries sharply decreased. 

After getting 279 handoffs in 2017 and 256 in 2018—both years in which Gurley was named first-team All Pro—the running back saw just 223 carries in 2019, finishing with fewer than 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns for the first time since his sophomore season in 2016.

The apparent mismanagement of Gurley's touches left plenty across the NFL confused by LA's game plan. The excuse came down to knee issues—Gurley entered the NFL fresh off knee surgery and has dealt with arthritis in his joint. 

Atlanta's offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter, acknowledged the knee issues to ESPN, saying the team has little to worry about when it comes to Gurley's abilities. Instead, Koetter said, it's about how healthy Gurley remains and how consistently he can run. 

None of those concerns seem to faze Ryan at the moment. 

"I think he's going to be an awesome fit for us," Ryan said. "And I'm glad we have him."

Ryan's offseason workouts have also reportedly included teammates Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Hayden Hurst. 

In what's more or less a "prove it" year for Gurley, the 25-year-old tailback is looking to prove his abilities to more than just his new teammates. After falling out of favor in Los Angeles, there's still the potential to sign a new long-term contract after the 2020 season.

At least as far as the offense is concerned, Ryan believes Atlanta is the spot where Gurley can make it happen. 

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan announced Friday that he is donating $500,000 to aid Atlanta's black community.

According to ESPN's Vaughn McClure, Ryan said the following regarding the donation:

"Last week I made a commitment to listening and learning, and one of the messages that hit home for me was the difference between reacting to a situation and responding to a situation. For far too long, I have reacted to social injustice with empathy and silent support but failed to follow through with active support. I feel the time has come to RESPOND. For ALL of us to respond.

"I see my city hurting, which is why I'm starting a fundraiser to help improve conditions for people of color in the city of Atlanta. ... Over the next few weeks, months I'm going to listen to the needs of the black community and get guidance on how I can be most impactful. I'm going to get input from local grassroots organizations as well as community leaders who are committed to making change."

Per McClure, Ryan set up a GoFundMe page for advancing lives in the black community of Atlanta with an overall donation goal of $2 million.

Ryan is one of several NFL players who have spoken out amid widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice following the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

Floyd died after Officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee pressed against the back of Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while he was facedown on the ground in handcuffs. Floyd told Chauvin he couldn't breathe several times, but Chauvin never eased the pressure, and Floyd was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Chauvin was subsequently fired, arrested and charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other three officers on the scene were charged with aiding and abetting.

Since Floyd's death, there have been protests against racial inequality, social injustice and police brutality in major cities across the United States, including Atlanta.

The 35-year-old Ryan has spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the Falcons after they selected him third overall out of Boston College in the 2008 draft.

Ryan is a four-time Pro Bowler, one-time first-team All-Pro and one-time NFL MVP. He also led the Falcons to the Super Bowl at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

As of Friday morning, the GoFundMe set up by Ryan had raised nearly $508,000 of the $2 million goal.

Atlanta Falcons center Alex Mack told Vaughn McClure of ESPN (h/t Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk) one reason he hopes there are fans in the stadium when the season starts in the fall is the ease of which opponents could hear his team's signals without anyone in the crowd.

"I'd be concerned with people hearing my calls," Mack said. "I don't want that recorded and let the opposing team next week hear everything we say because then every week we have to change every code word, term, line call we've ever used and that, to me, is annoying and so I don't want to do that. But I like the idea of finding new ways to entertain people and add like the second level of sports viewing for people at home because it's all we have."

Mack also raised concerns about how "flat" the environment would be inside the stadium, although he acknowledged it could prevent opposing defenses from getting hyped up by the crowd as well.

The 34-year-old, who played the first seven seasons of his career on the Cleveland Browns, is a staple on the Falcons' offensive front. He is yet to miss a game in his four years with the Falcons and made the Pro Bowl in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Even when the six-time Pro Bowler didn't make a seventh in 2019, Pro Football Focus gave him a solid overall player grade of 72.1.

As for fans in the stadium, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports noted Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told CNBC, "Right now—today—we're planning to have fans in the stadium."

Robinson reported coaches could return to team facilities that have been closed for much of the offseason as soon as next week, which could lead to full-squad minicamps at some point between June 15 and June 27.

There still have not been any concrete decisions made by the league when it comes to fans in stadiums if and when the season starts in September. Mack's Falcons start their regular season on Sept. 13 against the Seattle Seahawks as they attempt to bounce back from last year's 7-9 record.

Former Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is coming off a disappointing 2019 season and may not have a chance to rectify it in 2020 if he elects to sit out.

On Friday, Michael Silver of NFL Network reported "Freeman believes he is worth more than what was being offered and has insisted he is willing to sit out and skip the season if his number isn't met."

Silver's update comes after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Seattle Seahawks signed Carlos Hyde.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times previously reported the discussions between the Seahawks and Freeman "have hit a standstill," and Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio suggested he couldn't envision the running back getting a better offer elsewhere.

Hyde will provide injury insurance in Seattle considering Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny are coming off season-ending injuries. That is surely a role the Seahawks envisioned for Freeman when they were discussing a deal with him as well.

The version of Freeman who dominated the 2015 and 2016 campaigns for the Falcons as a Pro Bowler would get a notable deal. 

After all, he tallied 1,056 rushing yards, 578 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2015 and 1,079 rushing yards, 462 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns in 2016. Atlanta even made the Super Bowl in 2016.

However, he played a mere two games in 2018 and posted a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry during the 2019 campaign.

Freeman is just 28 years old and could have a few more seasons of prime production remaining, but so far a team has been unwilling to meet his demands as a free agent.