If the Falcons are to rebound from last season’s 4-12 debacle, quarterback Matt Ryan knows the offense must improve drastically.
Overall, several players reported on time Monday for the team’s offseason training program and started their workouts.
“Everybody is excited to get back to work,” Ryan said Tuesday. “We’ve got an unbelievable turnout for the first two days of the offseason. I’m excited about it.”
Falcons coach Mike Smith talked about the team getting bigger and stronger, and that’s fine with Ryan, who applauded the addition of guard Jon Asamoah and guard/tackle Gabe Carimi.
Last season, the Falcons allowed pressure on 37.6 percent of their dropbacks, according to profootballfocus.com. The offensive line was given responsibility for allowing 32 of 44 sacks. The quarterback was hit 42 times additional times and hurried 190.
“We have some adjustments to make on the offensive line, with two new coaches at that position,” Ryan said. “Some of the things that we need to work out are communication-type things and how we are going to identify certain things.”
Ryan knows that the Falcons will have to improve their blocking if the offense stands a chance of returning to elite status in the NFC. He was happy to see that several returning linemen were working in the weight room.
“Those guys have made a conscious effort to get into the weight room and to move weight,” Ryan said. “I’ve seen Lamar Holmes in here. Peter Konz has been in here. … Sam Baker has been in here getting rehab and also moving weight in the weight room. I’m fired up about it.”
The Falcons own the sixth pick in the draft and will be in position to add some talent on the line. Auburn’s Greg Robinson, Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews and Michigan’s Taylor Lewan are widely considered the top three tackles in the draft.
“We’re not naive; those guys have taken some heat,” Ryan said. “They’ve had to answer tough questions all of last season and through the offseason so far. They’ve taken it as a challenge and have been in there working as hard as they possibly can.
“I’ve been really impressed with the way they’ve handled it professionally and also how they have taken it personally. They want to become better and are doing everything that they can in order to improve.”
The offensive line additions all have blemishes on their records.
Asamoah lost his starting job to journeyman Geoff Schwartz last season in Kansas City. Carimi, a former first-round pick, has been released by two teams, and new offensive line coach Mike Tice’s units have been shaky.
Tice has been an offensive line coach seven seasons, and three times one of his lines ranked in the top 10 in sacks allowed. In 2010, the Chicago Bears led the league with 56. In 2011, the Bears gave up 49, fifth in the league. In 2001, Minnesota gave up 47, which ranked seventh in the league.
But Ryan remains hopeful that the Falcons’ line will rebound in 2014, while he concedes that the Falcons will have difficulty replacing future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. Ryan has worked with second-year tight end Levine Toilolo.
“Some of that started last year,” Ryan said. “Tony didn’t practice all the time. … I got to get a lot of work with Levine in practice situations during training camp last year. I think that helped him have success in his rookie year.”
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