This article is part of our Team Previews series.
ATLANTA FALCONS
THE SKINNY
The Falcons are hoping to improve on a .500 season in 2016, but that won't be easy in a division that's home to the Carolina Panthers – the reigning NFC champions. With a difficult midseason schedule, it seems more likely that the Falcons will be competing for a wild-card berth than a division title.
THREE KEY STORY LINES
CAN DEVONTA DO IT AGAIN?
The Falcons kicked off training camp last year with an open running back competition. Tevin Coleman had a leg up on Devonta Freeman into Week 2, at which point Coleman fractured his rib. Coleman's two-game absence allowed Freeman to take advantage of the opportunity, and the latter eventually finished seventh in the NFL in rushing yards and tied for the league lead with 11 rushing touchdowns. Freeman also proved to be a sure-handed ball carrier, as he was the only RB with at least 220 carries to fumble fewer than three times. In addition to his exploits on the ground, Freeman hauled in 73 of his 97 targets for 578 yards and three additional touchdowns. In particular, the catch tally ranked third among running backs behind only Danny Woodhead and Theo Riddick. The offseason acquisition of C Alex Mack should open up additional lanes for Freeman, who remains poised for significant output this season. If Freeman can stay healthy – he missed one game due to a concussion and landed on the injury report at various points in 2015 – another 1,000-yard, double-digit touchdown campaign is certainly possible.
WILL THE REAL MATT RYAN PLEASE STAND UP?
Until last year, Matt Ryan had been a model of consistency for most of his career, throwing between 26 and 32 touchdowns each season from 2010 to 2014. However, he failed to live up to those numbers last season, when he finished with 21 TDs, the lowest total since he was a rookie in 2008. To make matters worse, he also threw 16 interceptions, one shy of his career high. On a positive note, he eclipsed 4,500 yards for the fourth consecutive season, and the addition of WR Mohamed Sanu should only help Ryan. The coming campaign denotes the first time Ryan will quarterback the team without Roddy White split out wide, but the veteran receiver limped to 506 yards and one touchdown in 2015, so Ryan isn't losing the threat he once had. If Devonta Freeman can replicate his breakout from a season ago, Ryan may benefit in the form of more prevalent passing avenues. Like the Olympic Games, Ryan seems to come around every two years, making the Pro Bowl in 2010, 2012 and 2014. With a revamped receiving corps and a beefed up O-line, there's no reason to think Ryan can't return to similar form this fall.
WILL JONES AND SANU BE A DYNAMIC 1-2?
Julio Jones may very well be the first WR off the board in most drafts, as he led the league in receiving in 2015 with 1,871 yards. He flourished as the top pass-catching threat in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system, finishing the season with an NFL-high 204 targets and matching Antonio Brown for the league lead with 136 receptions. Jones is in store for another huge year, but projecting Mohamed Sanu's production is a little trickier. Sanu is expected to start opposite Jones in the potent Atlanta alignment, but Roddy White proved that simply picking up snaps in an explosive offense doesn't necessarily work out to intriguing game logs. Coupled with the fact that Sanu is coming off the worst season in his four-year career – 33 catches (on 49 targets) for 394 yards and no touchdowns – there's no telling what kind of stat line he'll finish with in 2016. Taking the average of his 2013 and 2014 numbers, a modest projection of 50-600-4 seems fair. Although he could easily surpass those marks, the fact that he's coming off such a subpar season may inspire hesitance to tab the wideout on draft day.
KEY JOB BATTLE
The Falcons went out and signed Mohamed Sanu this offseason after cutting ties with veteran Roddy White, and while Sanu is currently listed second on the depth chart, he'll be pushed by second-year receiver Justin Hardy for the chance to start opposite Julio Jones. Sanu brings more experience to the position, and while he had a more productive year than Hardy, grabbing 12 more balls for 200 more yards, most of Hardy's production came at the end of the season, suggesting that Matt Ryan was becoming more comfortable with the then-rookie. Sanu has the inside track to the position, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he was eventually supplanted by Hardy.
PIVOTAL PLAYER
Freeman came out of nowhere to lead the Falcons' offensive attack this past season, finishing with 1,634 total yards and 14 touchdowns. He was one of only five NFL backs to carry the ball at least 260 times, and it's clear that the offense is going to be more run-heavy than in the past. He's set to be a top-notch running back again in 2016.
BAROMETER
RISING: Julio Jones
Jones' lofty 2015 numbers could be hard to eclipse, but on the plus side, he'll be working with the same quarterback, which is more than can be said for fellow elite wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Demaryius Thomas.
FALLING: Tevin Coleman
Coleman was selected in front of Devonta Freeman in many drafts last season, but that won't be the case this year. In line for some rotational work, Coleman will nevertheless cede the lion's share of carries to Freeman.
SLEEPER: Justin Hardy
Hardy caught 10 passes in the final four games of 2015, and although he's behind Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu on the depth chart, he could flourish if defenses focus on other offensive weapons, as expected.
THE INJURY FRONT
Devin Hester, WR – Hester had a surprisingly productive 2014 season for the Falcons, but a turf toe injury kept him off the field for the majority of 2015. After offseason surgery, he hopes to be back to full health for training camp, but unless he can stand out in group of young receivers, he may only see work on special teams.
Matt Bryant, K – Bryant had a disappointing season in 2015 that concluded with a trip to injured reserve due to a quadriceps injury. He'll be pushed in camp by undrafted free agent kicker Nick Rose, but if Bryant can hold him off, the veteran should still be a reliable option considering he'll get eight home games kicking in ideal dome conditions.
Devin Fuller, WR – The seventh round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft is currently dealing with a hamstring injury. Some view Fuller as the heir apparent to Devin Hester, but he'll need to get on the field in order to prove he's a more reliable option than the veteran. He could also see some work as a wide receiver should his injury subside and he impresses the coaches in training camp.
IDP FOCUS
Vic Beasley, LB - Beasley set a Falcons rookie record for sacks in a season with four in 2015, but the team announced that he'll be moving from defensive end to strongside linebacker position this season. While he should see increased tackle chances in that role, he'll still be used as a rusher in passing situations, so he could easily build on the sack numbers from a season ago.
Paul Worrilow, LB – Even though he was subbed out in some passing situations, Worrilow still tallied 95 tackles last season. He'll still probably head to the sidelines in obvious passing situations, but Worrilow has proved in his short time in the league that he can rack up the tackles, assuming he holds onto his starting role.
Ricardo Allen, S – Allen was third on the team in total tackles last year, racking up 68, but he also recorded a sack, recovered a fumble and intercepted three passes. He'll return to his starting free safety role, where he'll see plenty of opportunities to improve on a solid 2015 campaign.
OFFSEASON MOVES
KEY ACQUISITIONS:
Mohamed Sanu – WR (from Bengals)
Should slide into No. 2 receiver role across from Julio Jones.
AUSTIN HOOPER – TE (Rd. 3, No. 81 – Stanford)
Could supplant Jacob Tamme or alternatively see work in two-TE sets.
COURTNEY UPSHAW – LB (from Ravens)
Plenty of tackles to be had if he wins starting weakside LB role.
KEANU NEAL – S (Rd. 1, No. 17 – Florida)
Starting from Week 1 onward could translate to triple-digit tackles.
Alex Mack – C (from Browns)
Presence should assist both passing, running games.
KEY LOSSES:
Roddy White – WR (FA)
Aging veteran received his walking papers this offseason.
JUSTIN DURANT – LB (FA)
82-tackle output wasn't enough to avoid becoming cap casualty.
WILLIAM MOORE – S (FA)
Lengthy injury history, age factored into decision to part ways.
