Atlanta Falcons: 3 Predictions for 2018 entering training camp

With Atlanta Falcons training camp about to begin, it feels like the right time to make some season-long predictions for the 2018 campaign.

Following the Atlanta Falcons’ debacle in Super Bowl LI, they were still able to make the playoffs a year ago. However, they weren’t the juggernaut that they were the season before and didn’t make it as far when the postseason came rolling around.

Now it’s about to be the dawn of a new day. The Falcons will begin training camp for the 2018 season later this week and hope to make a splash. Much of the personnel from their 2016-17 season remains the same, but there have been some key changes to inspire confidence.

And with that confidence as training camp is set to begin, let’s make a few predictions about how Atlanta will fare this year.

Falcons Defense Becomes Class of NFC

This could seem blasphemous to Philadelphia Eagles fans — if so, it’s intended to. The Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings were the only two NFC defensive units that held teams to lower point production last season than the Falcons. The buzz is that the Eagles, on name recognition alone, made some significant additions to the defensive front during the offseason. The reality, however, is that they added two aging linemen on the downslope of their careers.

The Falcons, conversely, have gotten deeper and younger at virtually every position. They even cut some of the more productive players of last seasons unit, opting instead for youth and speed, a combination that has paid dividends for head coach Dan Quinn in his previous stops.

Matt Ryan is Worth Every Penny

Matt Ryan, for the span of his career, has been very good, skirting the list of “elite” quarterbacks in the league by most pundits. Ryan may be in the top 5-10 in the league when stacked up against every signal caller in every statistical category. What cannot be argued is that Ryan is clutch. His 26 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career are the most by any player since he has entered the league. Whoever the offensive coordinator is or who the supporting cast consists of, that fact remains.

This year will be no different. When the chips are down, Ryan is as good as their is in the league at getting his team in position to win. While he may only hold the title for highest-paid player in the league for a few months, if he continues his high level of play in pressure spots, his contract will be a solid investment.

Defensive Coordinators Will Lose Sleep Game Planning vs. Falcons

There has been so much conversation recently about the Julio Jones contract situation that the topic of just how dynamic the offense may be has been lost. The addition of rookie Calvin Ridley could potentially do the best negotiating for Jones this season. Having a dynamic playmaker like Ridley on the field will undoubtably limit the frequency that Jones can be double-teamed, freeing him up to potentially make the big plays Falcons fans have been longing for.

In an already crowded backfield, there could be some trouble finding ways to work in newly drafted Ito Smith, but when he does get his chances, there could be fireworks. Smith was an extremely productive college player with breakaway ability in both the rushing and passing game.

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The last piece to the puzzle could be tight end Austin Hooper. Hooper heads into his third season with increased expectations. The contributions of future Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez are a very distant memory, especially his presence on third downs and in the red one. Hooper improved fairly dramatically over his rookie campaign and could become the security blanket Ryan may need in the middle of the field.