The Falcons made a calculated gamble in the 2018 offseason. Instead of adding significant resources to either of the lines, Atlanta banked on significant improvement from the 2017 draft class and a return-to-form from several injured starters. Some of those moves worked out OK: Jack Crawford had a very good season after recovering from a season-ending injury. Takk McKinley had a strong start to the year before the injuries piled up around him. Wes Schweitzer proved that he’s, at worst, a capable backup—which is pretty impressive for a sixth round pick.
Unfortunately, the big ticket players the Falcons were depending on failed to come through.