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Falcons rank second on list of best NFL rosters

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian works with Matt Ryan during the final day of mandatory minicamp Thursday, June 14, 2018, in Flowery Branch.

Credit: Curtis Compton

Credit: Curtis Compton

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian works with Matt Ryan during the final day of mandatory minicamp Thursday, June 14, 2018, in Flowery Branch.
By Juliakate E Culpepper
June 28, 2018

The Atlanta Falcons are the NFL's second-best roster, according to a ranking released Wednesday by ESPN.

On their list ahead of the 2018 season, ESPN ranked the Falcons behind only the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Quarterback Matt Ryan was determined to be the Falcons biggest strength even though he didn’t match his performance from his MVP season in 2016. The ranking also mentioned that wide receiver Julio Jones should continue to be an advantage for the Falcons should his contract negotiations resolve because he was the most productive receiver in football last season.

As for the team’s biggest weakness, the ranking turned to defensive lineman Terrell McClain.

“Interior defensive lineman Terrell McClain struggled for the second consecutive year and earned a grade of just 41.8 in 2017, his lowest since his rookie season. McClain finished the campaign as the only 3-4 defensive end in the bottom three in both run-stop percentage and pass-rush productivity,” the ranking read.

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