Atlanta Falcons still in search of wide receiver help
The team hasn’t enjoyed a winning season since 2017. And these days, the Atlanta Falcons have been very busy looking for quality pass-catchers.
Not exactly breaking any news here. Things can change fairly quickly in today’s NFL.
Witness the offense of the Atlanta Falcons, in part the team’s passing game and specifically the club’s wide receiving corps.
Go back to 2020 and here were the team’s top pass-catchers, all of which totaled at least 25 receptions that year. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley pulled down 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine scores.
Fellow wideout Russell Gage had a big year with 72 grabs, good for 786 yards and four TDs.
Tight end Hayden Hurst, a former first-round pick of the Ravens, totaled 56 catches – six for touchdowns. Veteran Julio Jones was limited to nine games but managed 51 receptions, good for 771 yards and three scores. And running backs Brian Hill and Todd Gurley each totaled 25 catches.
As the 2022 campaign approaches, none of these players will be catching passes for Arthur Smith’s club this season. While Hill, Gurley, and Jones (traded to the Titans) did not play for the Falcons this past season, the other three players won’t be around for various reasons.
As has been widely reported, Ridley has been suspended indefinitely by the league for betting on NFL games. Meanwhile, Gage and Hurst left via free agency this offseason for the Buccaneers and Bengals, respectively.
It is also worth noting that Tajae Sharpe, who caught 25 passes for 230 yards for Smith’s club in 2021, signed with the Chicago Bears earlier this year.
Courtesy of Ourlads, the Atlanta Falcons have a dozen wide receivers on their current roster. But only two – three-year pro Olamide Zaccheaus (54) and 2021 sixth-round draft choice Frank Darby (1) – have ever caught a pass for the franchise.
The veteran newcomers are free-agent additions Khadarel Hodge (Rams), Auden Tate (Bengals), Damiere Byrd (Bears), and Geronimo Allison. The latter played briefly for the Lions in ’21.
Elsewhere, Austin Trammell saw action in two games for the Falcons this past year but totaled zero receptions. Three undrafted free agents hope to make the team as well.
Meanwhile, the club recently swung a trade for Raiders’ wideout Bryan Edwards. And general manager Terry Fontenot used the eighth overall pick in April to select Southern Cal wideout Drake London.
Of course, the Atlanta Falcons also have a pair of quarterbacks new to the organization in veteran Marcus Mariota, signed away from the Raiders, and 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati). The team’s passing attack could be a work in progress all season.
Tight end Kyle Pitts led Atlanta with 68 catches and 1,026 receiving yards this past season but reached the end zone only once. Meanwhile, this club may not be done when it comes to adding experienced wide receivers.