The Atlanta Falcons welcomed again middle Drew Dalman final week, marking the primary time since September that each one 5 offensive line starters had been wholesome and taking part in collectively.
Whereas the Falcons hope that brings stability to the unit for the house stretch of the 2024 season, there are probably vital modifications forward after the season.
Since Dalman is an impending free agent, he’s the least seemingly of the present beginning 5 to return in 2025. Many may conclude proper sort out Kaleb McGary to be on the shakiest floor given the ticking clock when rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. may take over below middle. Penix is a left-handed passer, and no person sees McGary because the caliber of move blocker to belief to guard Penix’s blindside.
Changing McGary will likely be a tricky process
Nonetheless, the Falcons will seemingly discover it tough to maneuver on from McGary this offseason regardless of the potential $14.5 million in wage cap financial savings if reduce, primarily as a result of a restricted variety of appropriate choices to switch him.
Discovering a McGary alternative in free agent appears unlikely, provided that groups not often let good offensive tackles get to the market. The highest impending free-agent proper sort out is New York Jets’ Morgan Moses, who turns 34 in March.
Additionally, discovering a plug-and-play choice within the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft usually requires a first-round funding. Such a variety could be unpopular given the obvious want for the Falcons to improve their move rush in what many contemplate a deep edge-rusher class.
It received’t be as a result of poor efficiency if the Falcons decide in opposition to re-signing Dalman to a brand new multi-year contract. He’s typically been a strong, albeit unspectacular, starter during the last three years. The largest knock in opposition to him may be availability, given the eight video games he not too long ago missed in 2024, mixed with the three video games in 2023 as a result of harm.
But, the Falcons offensive line should evolve to succeed in the next degree offensively. Such progress will likely be tough if the crew settles for operating it again with the identical beginning 5.
Quick-yardage struggles spotlight line’s limitations
The Falcons struggled in short-yardage conditions this previous Sunday in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers, an space of concern for a couple of years now. Whereas questionable play-calling from offensive coordinator Zac Robinson performed a hand within the short-yardage struggles in opposition to the Chargers, that wasn’t an issue distinctive to this previous Sunday. Over the previous two years mixed, the Falcons have the bottom conversion fee on runs the place they’d two or fewer yards to go.
These struggles stem from the finesse-blocking unit the Falcons have spent the previous decade constructing to assault groups with their outside-zone speeding scheme. That has led to a whole lot of speeding success in that span, nevertheless it hurts them in short-yardage conditions the place the road wants to maneuver defenders off the ball, usually with brute drive that the present beginning 5 lacks. It’s another excuse shifting on from McGary makes little sense, given he’s the unit’s most dependable pile-pusher.
Will Falcons observe NFL’s shift away from outdoors zone?
In keeping with FTN Fantasy, the Falcons have run outside-zone a league-high 172 instances this 12 months. That accounts for about 56 % of their non-quarterback runs this 12 months, greater than double the league common of 24 %.
Robinson’s offense derives from the Sean McVay teaching tree, and different branches have minimized their outside-zone utilization. The Los Angeles Rams (23 %), Minnesota Vikings (29 %), Inexperienced Bay Packers (17 %), and Cincinnati Bengals (14 %) are all helmed by McVay or his proteges and don’t main in outdoors zone because the Falcons do. Over his tenure in Los Angeles, the shift away from outdoors zone has been one of many defining features of McVay’s offensive evolution.
But, the Falcons’ reliance on outdoors zone this season is considerably comprehensible. In any case, Robinson is working with the items he inherited, together with offensive line coach and run sport coordinator Dwayne Ledford, who’s well-known for his outside-zone tutelage.
However this upcoming offseason provides an ideal alternative for the Falcons to observe the developments of the remainder of the league and shift away from the surface zone. There isn’t a must abandon it altogether. For instance, the Detroit Lions, who sport one of many league’s high speeding assaults, run outdoors zone on about 38 % of their non-quarterback runs, which ranks third within the NFL.
Can Atlanta make that shift in the event that they re-sign Dalman to a multi-year contract, or will that imply doubling down on remaining an outlier in comparison with the remainder of the NFL? They might hold Dalman however nonetheless make schematic modifications by embracing extra energy and pulling ideas that also reap the benefits of this unit’s distinctive athleticism.
It’s inevitable that a lot of the eye on offensive modifications this upcoming offseason will give attention to whether or not the Falcons swap from Kirk Cousins to Penix at quarterback. Nonetheless, the general well being of the offense might be decided extra by any potential modifications upfront, both personnel-wise or schematically.
