Before Steve Bartkowski, there simply were not many good quarterbacks playing in Atlanta. Bob Berry might have been the closest thing to competence the Falcons had in that dark era, and he's clearly the best player to wear #17.
Berry arrived in Atlanta back in 1968 and served as the team's on-again, off-again starter for five seasons. His best run by far was a seven game stretch in 1969 where he tossed ten touchdowns against just two interceptions, which earned him a Pro Bowl berth. All told, he threw for 8,489 yards and 57 touchdowns in Atlanta, guiding the Falcons through a period of decent if not great play.