ATLANTA _ I've expressed doubts about the 2019 Falcons being any better than the 2018 Falcons, who were 7-9. Coach Dan Quinn is banking on improvement via a coaching-staff purge, a revamped offensive line with two rookies and improvement for a defense that added no major pieces to a line that was bad against run and pass. That's a lot.
Still, there are reasons for the Falcons to be optimistic as their players begin reporting for training camp soon at Flowery Branch. It starts with quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones and trickles down from there.
And this is the NFL, where the margin between the playoffs or not can be a matter of luck and circumstance. July is the time for optimism. Here are five reasons I could be wrong about the Falcons:
