NFL Offseason Report Cards: Falcons Make the Grade?

The Atlanta Falcons have had a successful offseason so far, but how were they graded by Bleacher Report?

Jeremy Brener | May 19, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up for OTA's looking very different than the team that walked off the field at the end of the 2022 season four months ago.

Both sides of the ball were upgraded significantly, providing hope for the Falcons' chances to end a playoff drought that's been around since 2017.

Bleacher Report was a fan of the Falcons' offseason moves, giving them an 'A' for their efforts so far.

"Atlanta got better on both sides of the ball and, most importantly, did everything imaginable to support its young quarterback," Bleacher Report writes. "This is a team that could win the NFC South in 2023, and in a worst-case scenario, it will know whether or not Ridder can be its quarterback of the future."

Even with improvements all over the field, there are still question marks surrounding the quarterback position. However, by sticking with Ridder, Atlanta will have some clarity. The Falcons plan to start him over Taylor Heinicke, the team's backup quarterback signing, but if things go awry, he can keep the ship afloat.

Then, if Ridder proves in 2023 that he isn't the answer, the Falcons will have a plethora of quarterback options to choose from in the 2024 NFL Draft, including USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and Texas' Quinn Ewers.

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Published May 19, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.