An inconsistent 2014 campaign doomed the Atlanta Falcons to also-ran status, but there's plenty of optimism in the ATL that this year's team will be able to flip the script. With a month left until the regular season kicks off, here's 3 Things We Learned About The Atlanta Falcons This Offseason.
1. The Falcons were one of the winners of this year's draft
Aside from a couple of likely-to-be inconsequential picks on the back end, the Falcons came home this draft season with an undeniable haul. Vic Beasley was a top-five talent squeezed out by a logjam of blue-chip prospects, Jalen Collins has all the talent to be a top NFL corner despite his relative lack of high-level experience, and Tevin Coleman is just plain fast and will add a true home run threat out of the backfield. Add in a couple of good scheme fits later in Justin Hardy and Grady Jarrett, and this looks like a draft to remember for the Dirty Birds.
2. Atlanta is primed for a run at the NFC South
No team in the division finished with a winning record in 2014, and there's not a single team in the division you can point to that is built to run away in 2015. We all know the Falcons offense can sling with the best of them. That's half the battle here. If the defense can even sniff league average in key metrics, Atlanta has enough firepower to take the NFC South. Speaking of the defense...
3. There's something different about this D
There’s two things you need to know about new Falcons head coach Dan Quinn — he’s an eternal optimist and he’s one of the best young defensive minds in all of football. Both those traits are going to infuse the team’s defense with a new sense of purpose and energy, which will in turn likely lead to increased production on the field. The NFL's worst overall defense in 2014 looks refreshed and rejuvenated in camp with a host of new possibilities in front of them. Now it's time to see if it'll translate to the field come Week 1.
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