Why Falcons?

The Atlanta Falcons never really deserved a playoff spot. With a record of 6-9, and a chance to clinch the NFC South at home, the Falcons choked again. They didn't just lose to the Carolina Panthers, they got absolutely demolished by Panthers, 34-3. There is just nothing to say. They were outclassed by a Carolina Panthers team that just played better than the Falcons. The only thing good to come out of this year was the firing of head coach Mike Smith. Please Arthur Blank, take my advice: fire the front office. Here is what I would like to do for the Falcons to do in the off season.

Carolina Panthers safety Roman Harper celebrates after
 intercepting Matt Ryan for a touchdown

First of all, they need to take advantage of the fact that they sucked. They need to draft well. Considering that the Falcons ranked last in the NFL in opponents passing yards, they need two main pieces on defense. 1) They need a pass rusher who can get to quarterback. The 2015 draft class is full of pass rushers with elite potential like Leonard Williams (USC), Dante Fowler Jr. (University of Florida), Vic Beasley (Clemson), and Randy Gregory (Nebraska). If they can find a player that can effectively get to the quarterback in the NFL, than they can reduce the number of yards given up through the air. 2) They need a corner back. If the Falcons want a really good corner in this draft, their options look limited to Trae Waynes (Michigan State). However it looks like that if they want to draft a corner in this draft, it is probably going to have to be a average corner that won't do too much.

On offense the Falcons are mostly fine. The wide receiving corps is set, and like it or not, Matt Ryan seems to be the quarterback of the future. Once the offensive line gets healthy, they will be be able to protect the quarterback. The only need that they have is a running back. Steven Jackson has been a bust for the Falcons, and Devonta Freeman has been the only bright spot in the running game. If they can pick up a running back like Melvin Gordon, or even Todd Gurley, they can be headed in the right direction for the offense. This will take the pressure off Matt Ryan and the wide receiving corps to do so well, thus causing everyone to play better.

The Atlanta Falcons have had two wasted seasons. They are hopefully looking to avoid having a third consecutive year in which they don't get much done. Whether or not they make the playoffs next year is beside the point. If they can make progress, and look like a team that has a chance of competing in the next couple of years, that will be fine for Atlanta Fans.