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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/23

December 20th, 2023 at 7:13pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

  • Designated to return from IR: OL Alex Palczewski

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 20th, 2023 at 1:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers’ Week 15 win over the Falcons brought the Patriots and Cardinals, who each lost, one game closer to the No. 1 overall pick. New England’s weaker strength of schedule provides keeps Arizona in the No. 3 spot, while Washington — weeks away from a likely full-scale reboot — has lost five straight to move into position for its first top-five pick since 2020.

Early reports have the Bears more likely to draft Justin Fields‘ replacement than trading a top pick once again, but the Patriots and Cardinals are still in the running for what could well be the Caleb Williams draft slot. Much less drama would emerge if New England claimed the top pick, as the Patriots would be expected to draft the top QB prize. Arizona landing atop the draft for the second time in six years could produce a derby, with Kyler Murray‘s contract difficult (but not impossible) to move for new GM Monti Ossenfort. QB-needy teams may well be hoping the Cardinals land one of the top two spots, however, providing a potential gateway to a trade-up for Williams or Drake Maye.

The Raiders’ 63-21 demolition of the Chargers slid them down six spots compared to their position last week. The Packers also climbed eight spots from their slot going into Week 15. Green Bay has not held a top-11 draft choice since it drafted B.J. Raji in the 2009 first round; that came on the heels of Aaron Rodgers‘ first season at the helm. Jordan Love‘s QB1 debut season could still produce a playoff berth, however, and the rest of the NFC and AFC wild-card races remain tightly bunched.

Here is how the 2024 draft order looks with three regular-season games to play:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. New England Patriots: 3-11
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 3-11
  4. Washington Commanders: 4-10
  5. Chicago Bears: 5-9
  6. New York Giants: 5-9
  7. New York Jets: 5-9
  8. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-9
  9. Tennessee Titans: 5-9
  10. Atlanta Falcons: 6-8
  11. Green Bay Packers: 6-8
  12. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
  13. New Orleans Saints: 7-7
  14. Denver Broncos: 7-7
  15. Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
  16. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-7
  17. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  18. Buffalo Bills: 8-6
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-7
  20. Minnesota Vikings: 7-7
  21. Los Angeles Rams: 7-7
  22. Indianapolis Colts: 8-6
  23. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-6
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-6
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-5
  26. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  27. Detroit Lions: 10-4
  28. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-4
  29. Miami Dolphins: 10-4
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 10-4
  31. Baltimore Ravens: 11-3
  32. San Francisco 49ers: 11-3

Falcons Intend To Start Taylor Heinicke For Rest Of Season

December 20th, 2023 at 10:48am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 20: If the Falcons are to make a late run to the playoffs, Heinicke will be leading the way. Smith said the team will go with the former Washington starter the rest of the way. When Smith benched Ridder the first time, he kept the door open for a return. While the Falcons reinstalled Ridder as their starter, it appears the second-year passer — anointed as the starter back in March — is not in the team’s plans to close out this season. With Smith uncertain to be retained for 2024, plenty rides on Heinicke.

DECEMBER 19: In the aftermath of the Falcons’ loss on Sunday, head coach Arthur Smith said a quarterback change was being contemplated. After going back to Desmond Ridder, Atlanta is now set to hand the reins to Taylor Heinicke once again.

The latter will get the start in Week 16, Josh Kendall and Jeff Schultz of The Athletic report (subscription required). That comes as no surprise after Smith’s remarks left the door open to Heinicke being reinstalled as the No. 1 for at least the time being. Ridder was given the starting role back after the Falcons’ bye week, and the team intended for that decision to apply through the remainder of the campaign.

However, the 2022 third-rounder has not improved as hoped during his second stint as a starter. Ridder has committed 16 turnovers this season, including six in the red zone. As a result, Atlanta sits at 6-8 on the year and is in danger of missing out on the postseason. A late switch back to Heinicke could provide more stability under center down the stretch.

After putting Ridder atop the depth chart for the final four games of his rookie season, the Falcons gave him a vote of confidence. The decision to sign Heinicke to a two-year, $14MM deal in the offseason was aimed at providing experienced depth, although the starter’s job was certainly not set in stone entering the season. With Ridder struggling to make the Year 2 jump, Heinicke earned a pair of starts midway through the season after replacing Ridder at halftime the game before.

In his time at the helm (which was cut short by a hamstring injury), Heinicke posted a passer rating of 84.2, the second-lowest of his career. The former Commanders starter committed only one turnover in that span, however, so he could provide a higher floor than Ridder against the Colts this week. Fighting for both the top spot in the NFC South as well as a wild-card spot, the Falcons will need a rebound from last week’s poor offensive showing to keep their postseason chances alive.

The team faces the possibility of missing the playoffs for a third straight season under head coach Arthur Smith. In spite of that, the latest reporting on the matter points to Atlanta retaining him for next season. As The Athletic report notes, however, Smith’s job security may become dependent on a plan to acquire a new starter under center despite both Ridder and Heinicke being on the books beyond 2023. Neither passer has done enough to lay claim to a permanent No. 1 role to date, but Heinicke will get another opportunity to do so this Sunday.

Arthur Blank Addresses Arthur Smith’s Status; Falcons HC’s Seat Warming?

December 20th, 2023 at 9:46am CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Falcons’ Week 15 matchup with the Panthers, Arthur Smith appeared more likely than not to be given a fourth season in charge. The ugly loss in Charlotte may have changed the situation.

As the Falcons prepare for a crucial matchup with the Colts, they have fallen behind the Buccaneers and Saints in another mediocre NFC South race. With three games remaining, the heat on Smith’s seat appears to be increasing. Although the Falcons have not made a decision on Smith, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson notes “sentiments of dismay” are rising within the building.

The Falcons finished 7-10 in each of Smith’s first two seasons. While that marked an improvement in 2021, the team is stuck at the game’s premier position. Atlanta, which has held back on quarterback investments since trading Matt Ryan in March 2022, has pivoted once again to Taylor Heinicke. Desmond Ridder, whom the team chose in last year’s third round after narrowly losing the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, has now been benched twice this season.

Arthur Blank, who backed Ridder along with Smith this offseason, did not confirm the former Titans OC would be back for a fourth year. While the owner is expressing support for his HC, that hardly qualifies as a true endorsement at this point on the calendar.

“We are committed to coach Smith,” Blank said, via Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Jeff Hullinger. “We are going to play these last three games; we are committed to win. We will let the season play out and go from there. Obviously, this has not been the kind of year we expected; you would hear that from coach Smith, you would hear it from our fans and our players. We understand that; we understand the challenges. At the end of the year, we will assess where we are and go from there.”

Blank denied the Falcons need to make the playoffs in order for Smith to preserve his job but indicated Ridder’s lack of progress has been an issue. The Falcons fully committed to Ridder by March (as Lamar Jackson was free to negotiate with teams after receiving the nonexclusive franchise tag). The Falcons were hardly alone in refusing to pursue the tagged Raven, but Ridder sits 24th in QBR and has lost his job for a second time.

“That was never really a requirement,” Blank said of a playoff run being necessary for Smith. “The requirement was we have more of a competitive team this year. I think through this part of the season, it’s been mixed, quite honestly, that’s what I think. … It has been tough; we certainly had high hopes for Desmond Ridder. He has done some good things for us this year. He would be the first to tell you, he hasn’t been the kind of consistent performer we’d like him to be.”

Failing to reach double-digit points against Carolina, Atlanta has seen its playoff odds (per ESPN’s FPI) plummet to 11%. Despite improving to eighth in points allowed, Smith’s team sits 26th offensively. Being in that position after spending three straight top-10 picks on skill-position players under Smith and GM Terry Fontenot is not optimal. Based largely on their ground attack, the Falcons ranked 15th during Marcus Mariota‘s lone season at the controls.

Although the Jets look likely to bring back Robert Saleh after three straight losing seasons, the Aaron Rodgers matter is being viewed as a mulligan. With no such issue impeding the Falcons, they are close to completing a sixth straight sub-.500 season. Modern HCs are rarely allowed to stay on the job after three straight losing seasons, and based on Blank’s comments, it is safe to say Smith is coaching for his job to close out the season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/23

December 19th, 2023 at 7:06pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Los Angeles Chargers

With Keaton Mitchell done for the season, the Ravens are adding a veteran to their active roster. Gordon has spent the entire season with the Ravens organization, compiling 99 yards on 16 touches in two games. He’ll now have a spot on the 53-man roster for the rest of the season, serving as the team’s RB3 behind Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.

Falcons Undecided On Week 16 Starting QB

December 18th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons’ decision to give the starting role back to Desmond Ridder after their bye week was intended to put the team’s quarterback questions to rest for the rest of the season. In the wake of yesterday’s loss, however, that may not be the case.

Ridder was benched in place of Taylor Heinicke after struggling to make the Year 2 jump many young passers experience. The former has received the confidence of Atlanta’s staff, however, and he was reinstalled as the No. 1 for Week 12 and beyond. Ridder underwhelmed in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, and a late red zone interception set up Carolina’s game-winning field goal.

That continued a concerning trend in the turnover department for Ridder, who has thrown at least one interception in nine games this season and each of his last four. The 2022 third-rounder has also fumbled 11 times, adding to the argument Atlanta should seek out a replacement this offseason. For the time being, another evaluation will take place at the position, head coach Arthur Smith said on Monday.

Smith answered no when asked if third-stringer Logan Woodside was under consideration to get the start in Week 16, and he confirmed the same is true of an outside addition. Just like earlier in the year, therefore, the current decision will come down to Ridder or Heinicke as Atlanta looks to remain in contention for an NFC playoff berth. The latter has put up underwhelming numbers when on the field in his debut Falcons season (55.4% completion percentage, 498 passing yards, three touchdowns, one interception).

A hamstring injury ended Heinicke’s run as starter, but he is healthy now. The former Commanders starter has more experience than Ridder, and the team could opt to give him the starter’s role down the stretch in a bid to reduce turnovers while competing for the NFC South title. The Falcons sit at 6-8, one game behind both the Buccaneers and Saints. They are also in the mix for a wild-card spot, but improvement on offense will likely be needed to reach the postseason.

Heinicke is on the books through 2024 after he signed an incentive-laden deal this past offseason. Ridder’s rookie contract, meanwhile, runs one year longer. With commitments to both passers beyond this season, Atlanta’s plans for the immediate future will be worth watching closely.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/23

December 16th, 2023 at 9:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday elevations for the Sunday slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson returned to practice this week, and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Sunday given today’s activation. The addition of a starter up front will be welcomed by the Cardinals by giving them stability at the left guard spot in particular and by providing an upgrade in protection ahead of a matchup against the stout 49ers defensive front in general. The Cardinals now have four IR activations remaining.

Street was acquired from the Eagles at the trade deadline after he failed to find playing time this season. The 27-year-old has started all five of his appearances in Atlanta, however, racking up 14 tackles (including four for a loss) and one sack. Those numbers will help his free agent market this offseason, but a pectoral injury will sideline him for at least four weeks. If the Falcons fall short of the postseason, therefore, Street will not return in 2023.

McCain was a full-time starter with the Commanders over the past two seasons, but his release led to a one-year Giants agreement. The former fifth-rounder has 87 starts to his name, but he has been unable to carve out a role in New York’s secondary, playing only 19 defensive snaps. McCain has logged a 50% snap share on special teams, however, so his absence in the third phase will be notable if he is claimed off waivers or signed as a free agent by an interested team.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 13th, 2023 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two different teams have held the No. 1 overall pick in consecutive years since 2017. Amid a radical rebuild effort, the Browns carried the top pick into the 2017 and ’18 drafts. The Jaguars did the same in 2021 and ’22. It is possible the Bears will follow that up in back-to-back years. The big difference here would be the Bears traded the 2023 top choice and may unload the 2024 top pick for another windfall, depending on their evaluation of Justin Fields.

The Bears and Panthers’ March trade, giving Carolina access to Bryce Young, has become a seminal moment for both teams. As it stands now, Chicago holds two top-five picks. The Panthers are 1-12, giving the Bears a two-game lead on the Patriots and Cardinals for the top slot with four games left. Chicago finishing with the first overall selection, providing access to the quarterback of its choice, would create a big-picture decision for a Bears team that already passed on the 2023 quarterback class to stick with Fields — a QB the Ryan Poles regime did not draft. North Carolina’s Drake Maye has declared for the draft, while USC’s Caleb Williams is widely expected to follow suit.

A new Cardinals regime is also evaluating its QB, though Kyler Murray‘s $46.1MM-per-year contract (which runs through 2028) will be much harder to escape compared to Fields’. This creates an interesting scenario that will have teams who do not land two-two draft slots monitoring how Chicago and Arizona proceed. The Patriots are widely expected to pursue a quarterback in the draft, and they are likely to do so without Bill Belichick.

With gridlock forming in the AFC and NFC wild-card races, considerable movement will take place over the next month. The winner of the NFC South will likely lose several spots in the ’24 draft, as the Buccaneers did this year by winning the ’22 division title at 8-9. Here is how the draft order looks going into Week 15:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. New England Patriots: 3-10
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 3-10
  4. Washington Commanders: 4-9
  5. Chicago Bears: 5-8
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-8
  7. New York Jets: 5-8
  8. New York Giants: 5-8
  9. Tennessee Titans: 5-8
  10. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-8
  11. Atlanta Falcons: 6-7
  12. New Orleans Saints: 6-7
  13. Seattle Seahawks: 6-7
  14. Los Angeles Rams: 6-7
  15. Denver Broncos: 7-6
  16. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  17. Buffalo Bills: 7-6
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 7-6
  19. Green Bay Packers: 6-7
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-7
  21. Indianapolis Colts: 7-6
  22. Minnesota Vikings: 7-6
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-6
  24. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 8-5
  26. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-5
  27. Detroit Lions: 9-4
  28. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-3
  29. Miami Dolphins: 9-4
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 10-3
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 10-3
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 10-3

Falcons Unlikely To Fire HC Arthur Smith

December 13th, 2023 at 10:31am CST by Sam Robinson

In recent NFL annals, the list of HCs to go 0-for-3 in playoff berths to start a tenure and then be brought back for a fourth year is not long. While Robert Saleh is on track to buck this trend and be brought back after (in all likelihood) three non-playoff seasons in New York, the Falcons are also not expected to shake up their staff.

Although Atlanta is tied for the NFC South lead, the team may not need to make the playoffs for Arthur Smith to keep his job. The Falcons are not expected to, barring a collapse, fire Smith in 2024, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This differs from a status report on this job last month, which indicated Smith was more likely to go than stay in 2024.

After their loss to the Buccaneers, the Falcons are 6-7. The team finished 7-10 in each of Smith’s first two seasons. The Falcons launched a bit of a rebuild under Smith and GM Terry Fontenot, taking on considerable dead money to move the Julio Jones, Matt Ryan and Deion Jones contracts. But the team is looking likely to exit Year 3 without the quarterback position being solved. Desmond Ridder has submitted an inconsistent season, being benched for Taylor Heinicke at one point, after the Falcons backed the 2022 third-round pick throughout the offseason.

Ridder ranks 24th in QBR and, despite the Falcons choosing pass catchers in the top 10 in 2021 (Kyle Pitts) and 2022 (Drake London), has thrown just nine touchdown passes (compared to nine INTs) this season. The Falcons, who were in position to trade for Deshaun Watson had the Browns not come through with the astonishing $230MM guarantee offer last year, joined the rest of the NFL in not pursuing Lamar Jackson this offseason. Arthur Blank expressed an interest in building around Ridder’s rookie contract, but the Falcons may need to explore an upgrade in 2024.

The Falcons ranked third in rushing last season but struggled mightily through the air in the largely Marcus Mariota-quarterbacked campaign. After ranking 15th in points scored last season, Atlanta sits 24th in Ridder’s first full year as a starter. Active in adding defenders this offseason, the team has improved from 23rd to 12th under new DC Ryan Nielsen. But Smith was hired to jumpstart Atlanta’s offense. For the most part, that has not happened.

The NFC South has produced one of the worst two-year periods of any division in NFL history, as it could potentially send a second straight sub-.500 team to the playoffs once again. Every coach in the division has either ventured to a hot seat or already been fired (Frank Reich). The Falcons close the season with only one team (the 7-6 Colts) left on their schedule with a winning record. This could give Smith a final platform to convince ownership he deserves a fourth season. Should the Falcons retain Smith for 2024, he will certainly enter the season on a scorching seat.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/23

December 9th, 2023 at 5:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves and callups heading into the Week 14 slate of Sunday games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There was some thought that Ammendola’s stint with the Texans had come to an end after four appearances. However, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that regular starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn still isn’t ready to return from his strained quadriceps, requiring the practice squad kicker to step in for at least another week. Ammendola has connected on six of his nine field goal attempts and all 10 of his XP tries this season.

With Trevor Lawrence a game-time decision for Sunday’s game, the Jaguars are adding some QB depth to the active roster. Rourke is a former CFL standout, with the quarterback earning the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2022. Following that breakout, 25-touchdown campaign, Rourke got a look from a number of NFL teams and ultimately signed a three-year deal with the Jaguars this past offseason. He was waived at the end of the preseason and has spent the majority of the season on Jacksonville’s practice squad. Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the rookie will be the emergency QB3 for Week 14.

Similarly, the Seahawks will call up Mannion and O’Connell as they deal with injuries to starting quarterback Geno Smith and linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Smith is questionable heading into tomorrow’s game with a groin injury.

Stewart is back on the Colts active roster after having served a six-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Through six games this season, the veteran has compiled 20 tackles, two stops for a loss, and five QB hits.

Crosby is set to make his 2023 debut and make an appearance for a team other than the Packers for the first time since the 39-year-old was drafted back in 2007.

Schweitzer head right back to injured reserve after being activated last week. The Jets signed a lineman to the active roster from the practice squad and elevated one for tomorrow’s game to add some depth at the position.

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