Falcon Report

Offense vs. Defense: What's Falcons Biggest Offseason Priority?

The Atlanta Falcons have holes to fill on offense and defense. But which ones are more important to the long-term success of the team?

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

The Atlanta Falcons have improvements to make on both sides of the ball this offseason.

As an offense, the team ranked in the middle of the pack in scoring thanks to a dominant run game, but struggled to make much of an impact through the air.

On defense, the team ranked below average in most categories and finished 31st in sacks with just 21.

However, ESPN has ruled that the quarterback position is the Falcons' biggest priority this offseason.

The Falcons can decide to put all their chips in Desmond Ridder's basket. As a second-year pro, Ridder will have a full offseason under his belt and the confidence in him will continue to grow. However, it may not be enough to go into the season as the unquestioned starter. That means that Atlanta will likely look to sign a free agent to give Ridder some company and competition.

Marcus Mariota acted in that role this season, but $12 million will be his price tag, one that the Falcons won't want to take on. Signing a quarterback to join Ridder in the quarterback room is crucial, especially if he is going to start the season under center like Mariota did this past year.

The team does have needs on defense in all three levels, but the team has ample cap space to operate and can sign a variety of players to fill those needs.

But in the NFL, quarterback is king. And getting that position right will likely dictate how well the Falcons play in 2023.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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