Atlanta Falcons, Jordan Cameron a perfect match?

Earlier this week, CBS Sports’s Jason La Canfora reported that Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron is not interested in returning to the team this offseason, and it always seemed like a split between both parties was inevitable this offseason after Cameron failed to stay healthy last season due to more concussion woes. It initially seemed like the Browns were the ones who didn’t want to get a deal done, but it looks like it is Cameron who wants no part of a dysfunctional organization that should be desperate to keep him around.

Although the Atlanta Falcons are mired in their own controversy after it was discovered that they pumped artificial crowd noise, Arthur Blank definitely does not run a dysfunctional organization. Thomas Dimitroff is on the hot seat at GM, but the Falcons could be on the rise with a smart offseason, since Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan are massive coaching upgrades on defense and offense, respectively.

Further upgrades will be needed on the Falcons defense, and odds are that they will draft a bona fide pass rusher, possibly Shane Ray, in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. More additions will be needed, and you can only imagine how much cred Desmond Trufant would receive around the league if he had better players around him in the secondary.

While Quinn’s main job will be to rebuild the NFL’s worst statistical pass defense- most net yards per attempt allowed in 2014- that was dreamed up poorlyÂ by the previous coaching staff, the offense could use some help after living off of the elite combo of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Both players aren’t appreciated enough around the league for their dominance, as they overcame an overly-praised supporting cast.

Harry Douglas can do some nice things, Devin Hester re-invented himself as a gadget player who can stretch the field, and Roddy White is a solid WR2 who caught 80 passes and can move the chains. The Falcons biggest problem on offense continues to be an offensive line that undermines the running game and makes life difficult for Ryan and his receivers, but this team could also use a tight end to turn the FalconsÂ back into a top-ten scoring offense after they were 12th last season.

Earlier this week, loyal site commenter “Trinity” astutely pointed out thatÂ Jordan Cameron could be a perfect fit for the Atlanta Falcons, and I immediately agreed with him. Cameron is one of the most athletic pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, and even though he caught just 24 passes in ten appearances last season due to injury, he still managed to average well over 17 yards per reception; now that’s how you make your catches count.

Cameron’s athletic gifts make him a top-notch tight end with mouth-watering upside in the Falcons offense, though it would be interesting to see if Cameron is interested in working with Shanahan again after being exposed as a blocker and not targeted enough. I’m sure things would change in Atlanta, though, again, it’s not like the Falcons have a solid offensive line, though Bear Pascoe takes care of their “blocking TE” need.

Dec 28, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline against the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Falcons literally received nothing out of their tight ends in the passing game, as Levine Toilolo was a complete disaster out there and one of the worst TEs in the league as a receiver. Per Advanced Football Analytics, the young TE averaged 4.5 yards per target, and the fact that he couldn’t even catch 60% of his targets from the ever-accurate Ryan, who had a much higher completion percentage when targeting Hester, means that he wasn’t even close to a viable safety valve.

On the other hand, Cameron caught a whopping 67.8% of everything thrown at him in his breakout 2013 season, averaging 11.5 yards per reception to go with seven touchdowns. He has the ability to stretch the seam, and his size and ball skills can make him a possession guy over the middle of the field.

While adding skill position players isn’t a pressing need for the Falcons, Jordan Cameron is the kind of high-upside addition who could really propel the Falcons offense back to their previous levels of dominance. More importantly, they don’t have to break the bank on him, because Cameron will likely take a cheap, prove-it deal in order to establish his health and level of play. Joining a team like the Falcons makes plenty of sense for him, because he’ll get to join a functional organization, an excellent coaching staff (on paper, at least), and an explosive offense that has one of the most accurate QBs in the game.

As we saw when Tony Gonzalez roamed the field for the Falcons, Ryan loves getting the ball to athletic tight ends who have the ability to split out wide or into the slot, and that’s exactly what Cameron can bring to the table. Ryan missed having a dynamic-yet-also-solid TE, and that’s the kind of player Cameron can be if he’s healthy.

With health being the only question for a player who will almost certainly come on the cheap, it seems like the Falcons need to take a long look at Cameron if he does hit the free agent market. He would be a huge upgrade, and the Falcons could still allocate most of their efforts elsewhere after taking a flier on the kind of athletic TE who could immensely help the Falcons offense in 2015.

Next: Quinn worth the wait

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