FLOWERY BRANCH -- Calling him "just a dude," NFL.com rated Falcons quarterback T. J. Yates as the 25th best backup in the league.
Here's the link to the story written by Marv Sessler.
Philadelphia's Mark Sanchez was rated as the No. 1 backup quarterback in the league.
As for the criteria, I listed 32 presumed backups in the order I would pick them to start a game today. Playing experience and recent game tape were primary factors, but team situation also played a part.
Tampa Bay's Mike Glennon and New York Jets backup Ryan Fitzpatrick were listed as second and third. The top three quarterbacks were labeled as "starting material."
Cleveland's Johnny Manziel was ranked 31st followed by San Francisco's Blaine Gabbert.
Yates was acquired from the Houston Texans in a trade for linebacker Akeem Dent in June of 2014. He was resigned over the offseason to a one-year $1.5 million contract.
Yates, who's from Marietta and played at Pope High and North Carolina, was added to give the Falcons a veteran backup to quarterback Matt Ryan. He played 18 snaps last season and completed 3 of 4 passes for 64 yards.
He played under former Houston coach Gary Kubiak, who gave new Falcons coordinator Kyle Shanahan his start in the league. There is some system carryover for Yates.
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