Atlanta Falcons: Making case for Jermaine Gresham

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Mar 17, 2015

Last season, the Atlanta Falcons had yet another disappointing season that ended at 6-10 for the year and out of the NFL playoffs. While the Falcons have done a decent job adding some much needed upgrades on defense via free agency, they still need to add some more targets for quarterback Matt Ryan. One key area that needs an upgrade and a more reliable presence at is with their tight end situation.

Tight end Levine Toilolo was supposed to do his best to live up to what Tony Gonzalez did after he retired in 2014 but unfortunately didn’t come anywhere close. He drops easy passes and had a sub-par season last year with just 238 yards on 31 receptions for only two touchdowns.

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Of course I wouldn’t have expected him to immediately be as good as Gonzalez but he didn’t even come close to at least being able to contribute big plays or be someone Ryan could depend on in the red-zone. This is where the Falcons can fix this issue via free agency by acquiring tight end Jermaine Gresham.

As a salary cap casualty for the Cincinnati Bengals, Gresham hasn’t been on the radar for most teams so far in free agency as he had hoped. He could still be a threat considering he has plenty of good football years ahead of him at just 26 years old not to mention, the chip on his shoulder since he hasn’t exactly been flooding with calls to sign a contract.

At 6’5″ and 260 pounds, Gresham would easily be a better option at tight end than Toilolo since he blocks better, has much better hands and creates mismatches enabling him to make plays all over the football field. He does well in running routes and could quite honestly beat out Toilolo to be the No. 1 option at tight end.

Opposing teams know what he brings to the table since his career stats show some pretty decent numbers that could dramatically rise with a new team, offensive system and quarterback. His career stats read 280 receptions for 2,722 yards and 24 touchdowns.

I’ve always been a firm believer that when a team picks up a free agent that has a chip on his shoulder, it almost always bodes incredibly well once they start playing in their new home. Look at the impact Steve Smith Sr. did with the Baltimore Ravens when he was shockingly not given a new contract by the Carolina Panthers last offseason.

Of course every story is different but I see no reason why the Falcons shouldn’t at least try to land Gresham since he has five years experience and the skill-set to really come in and push the envelope. With a new head coach in Dan Quinn that is already bolstering the Falcons defense so far in free agency, they need to also not forget to add some on offense.

Dec 28, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

It wouldn’t be surprising if Gresham had a career year with the Falcons since Ryan is a much different quarterback than Andy Dalton. I’ve always thought Ryan was a very underrated quarterback that got the short end of the stick because the Falcons haven’t really been giving him the right players around him needed to succeed.

While their defense has indeed been atrocious and needs work, adding a solid veteran like Gresham into the mix would certainly bolster Ryan’s confidence and performance as it won’t be hard to have a great relationship with a solid tight end that wants to get a second chance on a new team to show what damage he can cause.

This move would add so much to the Falcons that it could very well help them win just a few more games and be right back to being a contending team again. Of course they still need to have a successful draft but the best teams know in order to win next season and beyond, you must plug holes on your team via free agency with smart pickups and build through the draft.

Gresham would be a smart choice to make that could really surprise the football world since he’ll be a man on a mission to prove he still has what it takes to get the job done well and just needs a team to give him one more shot.

If the Falcons really want to add a nice dimension on offense with a much better tight end, Gresham is the way to go.

Next: Atlanta Falcons 2015 Seven-Round Mock Draft

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