Falcons Center Drew Dalman 'Made a Lot of Progress'; Long Term Starter?

After an up-and-down first season as the Atlanta Falcons' starting center, Drew Dalman received praise from coach Arthur Smith - but will he be back in the same role next year?

During training camp, Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith stood in front of the microphone after a practice session and discussed his team's ongoing competition for the starting center position.

Smith, himself a former offensive lineman, stressed the need for command from his center, adding that a player who fills that duty can "help" a young quarterback - such as Falcons rookie signal caller Desmond Ridder.

Ultimately, Smith chose Drew Dalman, a fourth-round draft pick from the year before, over incumbent starter Matt Hennessy. Dalman saw action in all 17 games during his rookie season but played just 68 total snaps on offense, setting the stage for his first start to be his first true extensive action.

Now 15 games into his first season as a full-time starter, Dalman's played every single offensive snap Atlanta's taken. As expected for a new starter, he's had his share of ups and downs, with Pro Football Focus grading him at 63.5 overall, including a rough 56 in pass protection but an improved 66.8 in run blocking.

Dalman, the son of former Falcons assistant offensive line coach Chris Dalman, ranks tied for second in the NFL in penalties this season with nine ... but also has yet to allow a sack and played a key part in sealing cutback lanes for Atlanta's zone rushing offense, which ranks No. 3 league wide.

The inconsistency has led some to question Dalman's future in Atlanta, but that decision will be made by Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot.

So, with two games still to play before season's end, how does Smith feel about where Dalman stands?

"Made a lot of progress," Smith said. "It's his first year starting in the NFL at center, at a critical position for us and for most offenses around the league. He's the guy that touches the ball first on every play. Sets the table for us in a lot of things. I thought he's really stabilized in there, and like a lot of players, there's some things we'll look to improve on, but Drew's had a pretty productive first year starting."

One of the biggest problems Dalman's had is the placement of snaps - the quarterback/center exchange is the first part of each play, and the Falcons have had frequent problems in that department throughout the year.

Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford said earlier this year that Dalman's "done a really good job snapping throughout the season," but acknowledged that the consistency in his location wasn't always there.

Nonetheless, Smith wants a stable, commanding presence at center, and Dalman appears to be checking those boxes, even if it hasn't always been without flaws.

Atlanta's offensive line has been one of its strongest position groups all year, marked by significant improvement from a season ago - and with the infusion of Dalman right in the middle of it all, he certainly seems set to enter the offseason as the heavy favorite to start at center once again next year.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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