Under the Dan Quinn era, the Atlanta Falcons got off to a hot 5-0 start last year. Fueled by a gritty defense and an offensive explosion from Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, you could see that the hunger was there. The desire to win, to punish an offense, and maybe the return of the old Matty Ice. But the second half of the season was much like most of the second halves of each game, the Falcons just always seemed to miss a key tackle or just come up short. All in all, you could tell that a new mindset was applied to the team as a whole, and a few key offseason additions could bolster the Falcons into a playoff spot.
James Laurinaitis
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A career St. Louis Ram, Laurinaitis played for many a poor team but his effort and tackling never left the field. The Ohio State product is entering his eighth NFL season, with seven 100+ tackle seasons under his belt. Laurinaitis is clearly a “team” guy, which is what Dan Quinn is trying to promote within his squad. The Falcons tendered Paul Worrilow and cut Justin Durant, which leaves a gap for Laurinaitis if Worrilow decides to sign an offer sheet from another team.
Travis Benjamin
With the release of Roddy White this offseason, the Falcons have a serious hole to fill. Without a clear number 2 already in the ranks, Benjamin is coming off his best season yet in a struggling Cleveland Browns offense. A former track and field athlete, this University of Miami product ran a 4.36 40 at the 2012 combine, and it certainly shows on the field. Coming off a 2015 campaign that included 68 catches for 966 yards, with six catches of over 40 yards, Benjamin is a clear outside threat to slice through a defense. Not only that, his lateral quickness and smaller stature allows him to line up in the slot for the tough yards. Benjamin is also a prolific return specialist, with 3 punt returns for TDs in his short career. With Devin Hester a shell of his former self and Roddy White gone, Travis Benjamin can certainly fill more than one hole for Atlanta.
George Iloka
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The William Moore era in Atlanta is over. The long time anchor of the secondary was cut by the team in the offseason. Every Falcons fan will miss his punishing hits on the field and his freestyle raps in the locker room. Insert George Iloka, a 4 year safety out of Boise State. The Cincinnati Bengal has a big 6’4, 225 pound frame, and excellent ball skills for his position. Most Falcons fans want to forget what he did to Matt Ryan last year, when Iloka picked off Matty Ice twice in one game. At 25, Iloka is entering the prime of his career, and you can tell that his potential is starting to come to form. Safety is definitely a position in the defense that needs some bolstering, and I think Iloka can come in and make an immediate impact.
Alex Mack
Mack, a 3x Pro Bowler, is exactly what the Atlanta Falcons need in the middle of their offensive line. The former Cleveland Brown terminated his contract this offseason and should be a priority for Thomas Dimitroff. With a 2014 season ending leg injury behind him, Mack returned to his Pro Bowl form last year and was voted back to Hawaii for his efforts. Protecting Matt Ryan in the pocket has been a problem for Atlanta for the last few years, and Mack could lead a much improved line in the 2016 season. Not only that, he could bolster the push off the line for more running room for an up and coming Devonta Freeman.
Either way, Atlanta fans are tired of the mediocre seasons when the fan base as a whole knows that the potential on this team is exponentially better than the result on the field. The Falcons also have 5 draft picks to boost their roster, and with an immense amount of talent in the draft at several of the positions that need to be filled, there are plenty of options to create a contender.
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