No NFL team is without flaws when the season begins, although some have more concerns than others. After missing the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, the Atlanta Falcons were more aggressive this offseason.
The team moved on from six of last year’s starters, and signed some of the biggest names on the free-agent market. Still, there are a few question marks surrounding the Falcons’ 2020 roster.
Here are three factors that could determine Atlanta’s success or failure this season.
Is Todd Gurley healthy?
After the Rams bit a $10 million bullet by releasing running back Todd Gurley, the Falcons swooped in and landed the 25-year-old All-Pro on a one-year, $5.5 million contract. Gurley replaces Devonta Freeman — who wasn’t the same last season — in an attempt to improve a running game that averaged just 85.1 yards per contest in 2019. But is Gurley healthy? Last season, he averaged 3.8 yards per carry and didn’t look anywhere close to the player he was in previous seasons.
Even in a down year, however, Gurley still went over 1,000 all-purpose yards and accounted for 14 touchdowns. With a left knee that’s been rumored to be arthritic, it’s worth wondering if the former first-round pick can get back to being the play-maker that nearly won the NFL’s MVP award two years ago. The Falcons had numerous chances to select a running back in the 2020 NFL Draft but opted against it, indicating the team is confident that Gurley will return to form.
How will young cornerbacks perform?
A.J. Terrell, Kendall Sheffield and Isaiah Oliver will battle it out for Atlanta’s two outside corner spots this season. All three have impressive talent and loads of potential, but it remains to be seen if these young corners can handle starting at one of the NFL’s toughest positions. Desmond Trufant may have been a bit injury-prone at times, but he landed quickly on his feet in Detroit after the Falcons released him because he’s still a solid player.
Without a veteran starter, is this group destined to fail? It may come down to the amount of pressure the team’s front seven can generate. Atlanta let Vic Beasley walk and signed Dante Fowler Jr. as a replacement. The team also traded for Charles Harris and drafted Marlon Davidson. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is known for developing defensive backs, but he’ll have his work cut out for him this season.
Third receiving option?
Mohamed Sanu was one of the best No. 3 receivers in the league, but the team made the right call by shipping him to New England for a second-round pick last season. With Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper now in Cleveland, the Falcons don’t have a clear No. 3 receiving option behind Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. The team acquired tight end Hayden Hurst from the Ravens, and the former first-round pick is expected to play a big role in Dirk Koetter’s offense.
If Hurst struggles, though, Atlanta could look to young receivers Russell Gage and Olamide Zaccheaus to fill the void in the slot. Gage, a 2018 sixth-round pick, finished last season with career bests of 49 catches, 446 yards and one touchdown. The Falcons also signed former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell, who can provide depth at the very least. Still, someone in this group is going to have to step up big in 2020.
