Riding With Ridder: Falcons Biggest Question After OTA's?

The Atlanta Falcons filled many of their remaining roster holes this offseason in hopes of making the playoffs. But questions at quarterback continue to overshadow their progress.

Is quarterback Desmond Ridder the Atlanta Falcons' only remaining question heading into their mandatory minicamp?

The Falcons certainly filled many holes on their roster this offseason, as general manager Terry Fontenot capitalized on the opportunity of having over $60 million in cap space to spend along with a premium top-10 NFL Draft pick. But in the eyes of many, their biggest need went unfilled. 

Bleacher Report wrote in a recent article that they believe Ridder is the biggest question mark left to be answered heading into minicamp, the final step in the ramp-up to training camp. 

"[The Falcons] have big-bodied receivers in Drake London and Hollins," Bleacher Report writes. "They have the tight ends to play in multiple personnel packages in Jonnu Smith and Kyle Pitts. The only question left to answer is whether Ridder is the guy to bring it all together."

The sample size on Ridder is small, as he started in just four games last season, leading the Falcons to a 2-2 record while performing competently at the very least. Ridder completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards and two touchdowns without any interceptions. At the same time, he was lauded by head coach Arthur Smith for his efficiency on third and fourth down.

Yet, through OTA's so far, there are rumors that the former third-round pick is struggling with accuracy issues. But those are just rumors at the end of the day. These questions of Ridder will never truly go away until he proves himself in the regular season. 

The Falcons have made strides to improve their team to a level capable of making it back to the playoffs, which includes surrounding their young signal-caller with weapons to utilize. 

While it is easy for fans to worry about an inexperienced quarterback heading into a season where they have postseason ambitions, it is quite telling that despite the numerous opportunities to sign another starting-level quarterback, the Falcons chose not to do so. 

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