Cover 9@9: ‘There is still lots of good football left in Matt Ryan,’ analysts says

“The big takeaway from me is that this team is finally moving away from, moving on from the collapse in Super Bowl LI,” Bassinger said in a phone interview on Monday. “They are not living that nightmare anymore. They are finally moving on...though they are not technically calling it a rebuild, they’re moving in that direction.”

The Falcons’ prospects for 2021 are not bright. Neither was the prospects for the 2008 team in Ryan’s rookie year. They went on to win 11 games and make the playoffs.

“While the next season or two might be lean, I don’t think that this is an obvious playoff team,” Bassinger said. “I think that they are finally kind of building toward something.”

Fontenot and Smith had two major decisions facing them in January. What to do with Matt Ryan and his hefty contract and an a disgruntled wide receiver in Julio Jones. They decided to restructure Ryan’s contract and started shopping Jones.

Bassinger was not surprised they elected to keep Ryan.

“Not at all,” Bassinger said. “In fact this was the only move to make. I don’t know that it was necessarily what they wanted to do, but it was the only thing they could do because they’ve restructured his contract so many times.”

The Falcons held the fourth overall pick in the draft and some were yelling from the top of Mercedes-Benz Stadium rafters for them to select former Georgia/Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (Harrison High).

They selected tight end Kyle Pitts and Fields went to the Bears with the 11th overall pick.

“I know there were some people, some fans, some media, who were wanting more of a total tear down and complete rebuild, but...they way I look at is, because of the way they’ve handled Matt Ryan’s contract, this year they really couldn’t move that contract.

“If they had traded him or released him — releasing him would not have made much sense — the dead money charge that they would have incurred this year would have been larger than the cap. So, it really didn’t make much sense to move on from Matt Ryan.”

The Falcons new regime inherited a funky salary cap situation.

“Given that they had to get under the cap in a hurry, that was the thing to do, restructure it, as painful as it was, it also likely means that he’s their quarterback next season,” Bassinger said. “The way that I look at, yes, they were in position to draft a quarterback there at four. But given that you’ve got this large financial commitment to Matt Ryan, how much sense does it make?”

Fields would have had to sit for a year and maybe two and the team would have lost the benefit of having a young quarterback on his rookie contract.

“How much sense would it make to bring a rookie into this situation?,” Bassinger said. “To me, this was really the only move to make.”

Ryan has been a Pro’s Pro since he was drafted in 2008 and he’s missed only three games.

“Plus, he’s 36 and we’re seeing Aaron Rodgers play well late into his 30s,” Bassinger said. “We are seeing Tom Brady play well into his 40s and Matt Ryan has no real medical history to be concerned about him. I think there is still lots of good football left in Matt Ryan. From a financial standpoint and from a football standpoint I think it makes sense.”

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

2. Falcons’ reconstruction on defense: How the Falcons defense comes together will be closely watched.

“(The Falcons) are pretty well set with Deion Jones and Foye Oluokun (at inside linebacker),” Bassinger said. “But edge rushers is a major area of concern. Dante Fowler was supposed to help with that last season and was a disappointment.”

Fowler had his big season of 11.5 sacks and 39 hurries, while playing with Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

“Grady Jarrett is great, but he’s not quite Aaron Donald,” Bassinger said. “Dante Fowler was a disappointment and I think, just for me, they just have a collection of rotational edge rushers. Not much pass rushing help outside of Grady Jarrett.”

3. Revamped secondary: The Falcons’ secondary was overhauled after finishing last in the league pass defense (293.6 yards per game allowed).

“That’s the area right where they most blew things up was the secondary, particularly at safety,” Bassinger said. “That made a lot of sense because they were really prone to explosive pass plays last season. There is a lot of inexperience back there.”

No pass rush and poor coverage is a bad marriage of the front and back of the defense.

The Falcons gave up 66 pass plays of 20 yards or more, which was tied for the most in the NFL with the Lions. Left cornerback A.J. Terrell was the primary man in coverage on 10 of those plays, and right cornerback Kendall Sheffield gave up nine, according to Football Outsiders.

“You take the lack of a pass rush upfront and then the inexperience on the back end…..fortunately for them, they were able to bring in Dean Pees, who is up to the task,” Bassinger said. “It’s not maybe the exact same situation that he had in Tennessee (in 2018 and 2019), but there are some similarities there.

“They didn’t have a dominate pass rush. They are going to have to be creative.”

Expect a lot of blitzing from all positions, especially the linebackers.

“I think that they’ll end up putting a respectable unit out there,” Bassinger said.

4. Is Mike Davis an RB1? Falcons running back Mike Davis, who amassed 1,000 total yards from scrimmage last season in Carolina, is slated to be the team’s primary ball carrier.

“A low-end RB1, part of it is that in a Shanahan-style scheme you don’t necessarily need a freak of nature back there,” Bassinger said. “I’m buying him as a low-end RB1.”

5. First open practice is Saturday: The Falcons have the fewest open training camp dates in the NFC South.

The Buccaneers (16), the Panthers (14) and the Saints (seven) have more open practices than the Falcons.

The Falcons’ five open practices will be held Saturday, July 31, Sunday, Aug. 1, Aug. 3, Aug. 4 and Aug. 5. To attend a live practice, fans can get tickets by clicking here.

Gates will open at 8:30 a.m., with practice scheduled for 9:30.

The Falcons also have a practice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 7. As of last week, 21,000 tickets have been issued for the stadium practice.

The ability for the Falcons to host more open practices was affected by Hall County Schools returning Aug. 4 and the loss of parking and the team holding joint-practices with the Dolphins.

(ASIDE: To solve the parking issue next year, they could have folks park at the Mall of Georgia and shuttle them to the facility.)

6. Harmon on the secondary: Falcons safety Duron Harmon is one of the key offseason pickups in the secondary.

Harmon, who started 16 games with the Lions last season, has played in 17 playoff games, including four Super Bowls. He was with the Patriots when they won Super Bowls 49, 51, and 53. They lost Super Bowl 52 to the Eagles.

In Super Bowl 51 against the Falcons, Harmon played 29 defensive snaps (59%) and made three tackles in the game. He also was beaten by Taylor Gabriel for a 35-yard gain.

Here’s what he had to say to the Atlanta media after reporting for training camp Tuesday:

On his offseason and how will he fit into the defense: “I got to come in. The thing that I love about OTAs and minicamp, is you get to see kind of what the defense looks like. For me personally, I got to make some -- I’m not going to say mistakes -- but just got familiarized with the defense. How I see myself in the defense? We’ll have to see, but at the end of the day I have to go out there and perform. I have got to perform in practice each and every day. I have to perform in the (exhibition) season games and I have to earn the trust not only of my coaches, but of my teammates to let them know that I’m a reliable player out there and that I’ll be good for the job.”

On how fast can the secondary can come together: “It’s going to take a lot of work. We’ve got some young guys. We’ve got some older guys in myself and Erik. Fabian is in Year Five and Isaiah (Oliver) is in Year Four. But we’ve got a lot of guys here in two (years) and under. At the end of the day, it’s going to take reps. Not just reps on the practice field, but reps in the film room. Reps at walk-throughs. Reps with us just getting together and talking ball. It’s going to take time. If everybody, in which I believe everybody is willing to put in the work, then things will continue to come together.”

On his familiarity with the new scheme: “We all know that Dean Pees was a coach at New England (where he previously played). Some of the stuff is very familiar, but then he’s got some stuff that’s different as well. I think it’s just meeting, getting into the playbook, learning the playbook and being professional. Keep studying. Even when I think I’m familiar with it, keep honing in on it some more because you can never get familiar enough with a new scheme.”

On if he’s surprised that Pees came out of retirement: “When I talked to Coach Pees, he said this is what he loves to do. He said he took a year off, but he still saw himself breaking down the film and doing everything he did as a defensive coordinator. So, I think it was an easy transition for him to get right back into the game. I’m very excited to work with Coach Pees. Looking forward to him leading the defense.”

On if he was surprised that Pees couldn’t say away: “The competitiveness. There is nothing like football. It’s the ultimate team sport. You look at basketball, you can have two superstars and maybe three and have a chance to win the NBA Finals. In football you’ve 22 starters…you’ve got the special teams. It really takes a full team to come together with everybody doing their job to be a champion. You can’t get that comradery anywhere else. Anybody that’s been a part of it will tell you that.”

On if he’s still excited about reporting for training camp: “Without a doubt, it’s like the first day of school. I’m super excited because not only is it a new opportunity for me, I am thankful to be a part of this franchise. There are lot of great players and more so just great people. So, I’m excited to get to work with them and to see what we can accomplish this year.”

7. Checking in with RB1: Here’s what Davis had to say to the Atlanta media after reporting early for training camp Tuesday:

On reporting for camp: “It’s really exciting. It’s really a dream to be home. I mean, I’m here early so that speaks for it a lot. I’ve been here since 8 (a.m.). I’m just ready to go.” (The team didn’t have to report until 9 a.m.)

On how he wants to start camp: “I expect to jump right in. I don’t know how you can ease into. But my expectations is for it to be hard.”

On being the RB1: “I just want to come out and win. I (am not) really too much pressed for the stats or whatever that comes with. I’m just here to try to make the team better, my teammates better. I just want to win. That’s all that matters.”

On being at home, is it different: “It feels a lot different. That drive. I don’t really have to pack. All I have is my back pack, so home is nothing but 30 to 50 minutes from here. Yeah, it feels a lot different.”

On the drive to camp: “I was anxious this morning. I was really ready to get here. It’s really fun to be around your teammates. I missed being around my guys. OTAs, it meant a lot to be there with them and to practice against them. Honestly, I just can’t wait to be out here and in the locker room joking with my guys.”

On ticket requests from family members: “The ticket thing has already been outrageous. I’ve been in the league, it’s going on Year Seven, so I know how to say no.”

On his relationship with Matt Ryan: “The relationship is really good between me and Matt. He’s a veteran guy. He knows what to look for. Really smart out there on the field. Anytime that you have a smart quarterback like Matt, that’s always a plus.”

On his offseason: “Whatever coach asks me to do, I’m doing it. I’ve been grinding ever since I got in the league. I’m in that mode of doing whatever it takes.”

On the new commitment to the run: “I don’t know where we were last year in rushing. (They finished ranked 27th). I don’t know how the play-calling is going to go. I don’t know what plays were are going to run. I might have an idea, I might not. I don’t know what we have going on.”

On how much Arthur Smith ran the ball in Tennessee: “Of course, I’ve seen everything that he’s done at Tennessee, but I don’t know what the game plan is here.”

On playing at home: “Of course, I feel like everybody always dream of playing at home. Growing up, I was a Falcons’ fan. I’ve seen everybody from Alge Crumpler to Michael Vick. I’ve seen everything growing up. The Falcons are my dream team. To actually play for the Falcons is a dream come true.”

8. Atlanta Falcons’ 90-man roster analysis:

Part 1: Quarterbacks

Part 2: Running Backs

Part 3: Offensive line

Part 4: Special Teams

Part 5: Wide receivers/Tight ends

Part 6: Defensive line

Part 7: Linebackers

Part 8: Secondary

9. THE AJC’S PROJECTED DEPTH CHART: The Falcons reached the league roster of limit of 90 players Monday when they signed outside linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee and offensive lineman Jason Spriggs.

The team had openings after cutting linebacker Barkevious Mingo recently and the release of running back Tony Brooks-James.

Ellerbee, 24, originally signed with the Falcons after the 2018 draft out of Rice. He also has spent time with the Chargers, Seahawks and Texans. Ellerbee, who’s 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, has played in seven NFL games. He spent 12 weeks on the Texans’ practice squad in 2020.

OFFENSE

WR 18 Calvin Ridley, 83 Tajae Sharpe, 88 Frank Darby, 13 Christian Blake, 86 Antonio Nunn

WR 14 Russell Gage, 17 Olamide Zaccheaus, 12 Chris Rowland, 82 Austin Trammell, 16 Jeff Badet

LT 70 Jake Matthews, 74 William Sweet, 72 Willie Beavers

LG 68 Josh Andrews, 77 Jalen Mayfield, 66 Willie Wright, 62 Bryce Hargrove

C 61 Matt Hennessy, 67 Drew Dalman, 65 Joe Sculthorpe

RG 63 Chris Lindstrom, 64 Ryan Neuzil, 75 Kion Smith, 71 Sam Jones

RT 76 Kaleb McGary, 73 Matt Gono, 77 Jalen Mayfield, 69 Jason Spriggs

TE 8 Kyle Pitts, 81 Hayden Hurst, 85 Lee Smith, 87 Jaeden Graham, 46 Parker Hesse, 80 Ryan Becker, 89 John Raine

QB 2 Matt Ryan, 5 AJ McCarron, 15 Feleipe Franks

HB 28 Mike Davis, 30 Qadree Ollison, 84 Cordarrelle Patterson, 25 Javian Hawkins, 42 Caleb Huntley

FB 40 Keith Smith

DEFENSE

DL 90 Marlon Davidson, 55 Steven Means, 95 Ta’Quon Graham, 79 Chris Slayton

DL 97 Grady Jarrett, 93 Zac Dawe, 94 Deadrin Senat, 98 John Atkins

DL 96 Tyeler Davison, 50 John Cominsky, 99 Jonathan Bullard, 69 Olive Sagapolu

OLB 56 Dante Fowler, 92 Adetokunbo Ogundeji, 42 Shareef Miller, 52 Emmanuel Ellerbee

ILB 45 Deion Jones, 51 Brandon Copeland, 53 Erroll Thompson

ILB 54 Foyesade Oluokun, 43 Mykal Walker, 48 Dorian Etheridge

OLB 91 Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, 49 Kobe Jones, 59 George Obinna

RCB 22 Fabian Moreau, 20 Kendall Sheffield, 29 Chris Williamson

LCB 24 A.J. Terrell, 33 Tyler Hall, 34 Darren Hall, 38 Marcus Murphy, 41 J.R. Pace

NCB 26 Isaiah Oliver, 25 Delrick Abrams, 35 Avery Williams

FS 23 Erik Harris, 27 Richie Grant, 37 Dwayne Johnson

SS 21 Duron Harmon, 32 Jaylinn Hawkins, 39 T.J. Green, 38 Marcus Murphy

SPECIALISTS

K 7 Younghoe Koo

P 4 Sterling Hofrichter, 9 Dom Maggio

LS 47 Josh Harris

KO 7 Younghoe Koo

KR 84 Cordarrelle Patterson, 12 Chris Rowland, 35 Avery Williams

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Falcons’ 2021 schedule features trip to London, January trip to Buffalo