 What's up everybody and welcome to another edition of the Falcons final whistle podcast. I'm Scott Barrett alongside me Tori McElaney and Chris rim as we break down. A 30 to 20 loss the Atlanta Falcons lost 30 to 22 the rival New Orleans Saints on Sunday week 18 at Mercedes Ben Stadium, not a desired outcome not a way that the Falcons wanted to wrap their 2021 campaign. And guys, let's be honest, we're not going to talk a whole lot about the details of this game. I think this fan base is kind of really moved on and they want to talk about the offseason and they want to talk about what comes next and there are a lot of interesting things to discuss. So we're going to jump into all of those things over the course of four quarters you guys know the format by now it's five minutes on each topic we're going to debate vigorously. Four different things starting with Matt Ryan and all the chatter around him and his future into 2022. Also some other key Falcons free agents who are going to hit the open market this spring. We are going to talk about what needs have emerged by all three of us watching this 2021 campaign. And of course we're going to take a look at now that we know where the Falcons draft at number eight overall we're going to look at what they should do with that pick a topic that will probably discuss a couple thousand times before they actually make it. So before we jump into all that forward thinking talk, Tori and Chris the story let's start with you first. What is your big takeaway from the regular season finale as a four quarter game. I think, honestly, it to me it was kind of I was already looking ahead, even as this game was going on I think once we saw how this game was going in that first half and it wasn't looking good. I immediately kind of put on blinders to looking straight to the 2022 offseason and what I spent a lot of time thinking about postgame was the needs that I think we saw very evidently be needs in this game and having a lack of past rush I'm talking about issues on the offensive line I'm talking about maybe running backs and receivers I mean these are all things that I think the Saints really took advantage of that the Falcons really don't have full strength in those areas. And so to me it kind of correlated my takeaway from this game kind of correlated to what I think going what I'm thinking kind of going into the 2022 offseason. Well then Chris maybe I won't, I won't try to pigeonhole you as much what was going through your mind over the course of this game and in its aftermath. Yeah I think it was a lot of what what Tori said but I guess not to reiterate the entire same thing she said I would I would say it was stood out to me from the the game itself was the turnovers they, talked about it they they had three two in a row and then they had three turnovers on the first play of a drive an interception and then fumbles and and then the time of possession. So I think it was a 20 minute gap I think it was 35 minutes almost 35 minutes for the Saints and a little over 15 for the Falcons so when you have that kind of gap is tough for your defense any defense the best defense is to to play well and and a defense did better in the second half but the first half it was it was a challenge but that's what stood out to me from the game. I think that both of you guys are dead on in the fact that this game showed the reasons why the Falcons weren't competitive enough, especially against top teams that they fell into trouble when they lost the turnover battle when they weren't good on run defense and when they fell behind I think that all those things are key now we've talked about this Saints game right now it's going to be about what happens next and what's moving forward but before we get to all that we have to give another big thank you to our sponsor Microsoft windows 11 the official operating system of the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons the all new windows 11 is here to bring you closer to what you love like the Falcons final whistle podcast learn all about the awesome new features of windows 11 at windows.com. We are starting quarter number one talking about QB number one that's Matt Ryan who shortly after wrapping his 14th season as Falcons starting quarterback he was asked about his 15th season or the prospects of his 15th season whether he's going to be back next year. Despite the fact that he obviously has a huge salary cap number a lot of dead money associated with it and Arthur Smith was asked about it Matt Ryan was asked about it tour you were in that press conference kind of give us the tone and the vibe and what was said during those exchanges. Yeah so I will say this Arthur Smith was a lot more heated than Matt Ryan was about the future of Matt Ryan which I thought is funny when you're talking about the future of one guy you think the guy in question would probably be a little bit more heated about his own future. But it was Arthur Smith and he very much was adamant that rumors are rumors and he he basically said that he wasn't going to get into Matt Ryan's future that Matt knew what the Falcons thought of him and they know what like the like Matt thinks of the Falcons and he was very very adamant that he was not going to get into it and then about 15-20 minutes later when Matt was asked about him I was just kind of like yeah you know I'd love to be back I love it here I always want to be here and I essentially think that we're laying a good foundation here and I like what we're building and so I think it's really funny if we're just talking about the atmosphere of these press conferences Arthur Smith and Matt Ryan's were very different in how kind of they handled the questions of Matt Ryan's future with the Falcons. And I think how the Atlanta Falcons handle Matt Ryan's future what a segue how the Falcons handle Matt Ryan's future whether he's going to be around next year I think is going to be a fascinating portion of this offseason I just spent 900 words explaining why he's the right guy for the Falcons in 2022 that includes the benefit of the 2022 product is using all of your available assets to build up the team around Matt Ryan and the team around his inevitable successor right it frees up some options you don't have to take a quarterback you can if you want to but you don't have to and I think that there are a bunch of benefits going into it. So I do think that he should come back next year Matt Ryan, as you said Tory was very clear that he wanted to come back here. We're not talking a lot about the finances here right. You've been asked about this on every radio show and podcast known to mankind finances play a role here to don't they. No you're you're absolutely right and that is a question that I get asked all the time and I basically say the every single time I don't see how you get rid of Matt Ryan, because of his cap hit in 2022 and 2023. His contract has been restructured so many times and essentially it's just kicking money down the road. At some point you're going to have to pay Matt Ryan the money he's owed, and we have reached that point because there's only two years left on this contract there is no more time to kick the can down the road anymore so when people ask me about Matt Ryan coming back I'm just like, well find me a way that it makes sense to get rid of him because as of right now I don't see how it makes sense and I don't know how to crunch the numbers in that way to where you part ways with Matt Ryan and you're not in one of the biggest holes you'll I've ever seen an organization being I just don't know how that correlates. Chris let's so we just talked about money. Now let's take it all away you saw every single snap that Matt Ryan took for the Atlanta Falcons this season. You know what he was working with. What were your impressions of this season and I hate to even ask it this way but I will anyway. You know, do you think that he still got it at this point in his career. I think he I think he still has it I think you know this season was a lot in terms of losing losing we're losing Julio and then losing Calvin and then I'm trying to build a relationship with Kyle and him kind of becoming that number one option and then not to being out Hayden being out, you know, think Lee Smith caught nine passes this year. You know, there was a lot it's hard for I think it would be hard for a lot of quarterbacks and not to mention that there were some struggles with with the offensive line throughout the year. Yeah, I think for Matt I think Matt has like like my whole process thought process with Matt has been in order for him to be successful with this style of play. I just think the pieces also need to be around him in order for him to be successful doesn't mean that he needs a, you know, think Lee Smith cousin Lamborghini he doesn't need a bunch of Lamborghinis that I think he needs some I think he needs some Lamborghinis up front and that's not saying he doesn't have, you know, a couple in in Lindstrom and Jake Matthews but that's just saying that, you know, some some support would be helpful. And I think if they continue to build that line I think you'll continue to see increased performers from him in the office. Yeah, I think anytime. Do we consider offensive linemen Lamborghinis because I always think they're like Ford trucks. Yeah, for sure they're more like F 150s for sure. I would definitely say that like that like Chris Lindstrom is that like raised F 150 with like all the chrome grill and everything like tricked out. That's Chris Lindstrom, I think what Chris was saying is we need more tricked out trucks. He's on the outside tricked up trucks up front and I think we're going to this won't be the last time that we're going to talk about this when you deal with a quarterback with as much success as Matt Ryan who's meant to as much to this franchise, who is, let's be honest, closer to the end of his tenure here. Then then at any other point, and there is some uncertainty it's going to fuel speculation that the fan base is divided, and we will continue to bring rationality to this topic, I promise you that we are kicking off quarter number two talking about some guys who are heading towards the open market this spring, guys who are heading, who are headed towards unrestricted free agency, and the Falcons have quite a few in the 20s. Actually, and of that group there are some guys that you can see them just kind of automatically, you know, parting ways with them. There are some key guys that Chris room you talked to after Sunday's game. Guys like Russell Gage guys like Hayden Hurst guys like foyer a looking guys who could have something of a market or whether they're coming back or not Chris what did those guys have to say what what stood out to you from their postgame press conferences, regarding their futures. Yeah, I think it was kind of all it was kind of all pretty uniform in terms of what I think with foyer and Russ they were definitely of the of the mindset of, you know, well I think Russ was the most out of the three who said you know I want to be here. Russ said explicitly you know Atlanta has first priority but Russ also said he doesn't really know anything about free agency like growing up when you play Madden he always assumed that part of the season because he hated. He didn't he lost all the players and stuff so he doesn't know he doesn't know anything about free agency, at least that's what he's telling us. And then foyer, as he says he said, you know he's been, maybe outside of it's row maybe the best player on the defense so he he I think he understands that that he might have a lot of teams a lot of suitors who are interested in him. And what he said though was that he's not really looking for the highest paying team or that whoever's going to offer him the most money. It's more about where he can have continued success and continued growth. And he's also said before he doesn't, you know, changing might not always help that being in the same system and learning. He wonders how, how much better he can grow in a system like this. And for Hayden, it was just about opportunity. And I think this this season for him has been ups and downs because you know his his option wasn't picked up in the preseason. And then as, as, as he mentioned post game today when he when he realized that he knew he would need to have a good year. And he admitted post game that it hasn't been the year that he had hope. And some of that has has been because of injury and then he was pulling the, you know reserve COVID list for a couple games so he's missed four games because of that. There's been a lot of changes so for him, it's all about opportunity and chances to play whether that's in Atlanta or not. Yeah, I mean, there's going to be a lot of roster turnover with with a lot of these different free agents. It's interesting to hear guys who have been around here for a while that you think about, like Russell gauge coming up from the bottom and foyer coming up from the bottom and whether they're going to have a market to go out there and cash in on all the hard work that they've done. I don't know if you if we're just talking about these three and I know that doesn't include Patterson and a lot of other guys that are that are going to hit the market. If you're going if you're coming up with with with one of these three and you got limited funds and you're playing GM for the moment. Who do you jump after and why. Oh, gosh, put me on the spot. I mean, I think if I'm just talking about, I know, I think if I'm just talking about these three. I mean, I've written so many stories about foyer. I feel like people are tired of me talking about him but I probably would say foyer because I don't know and I think about this way. He's the number one tackler in the league right now and a lot of people are very skeptical about that number because they're like, well, that means that he's like the balls getting to him the guy is getting to him he has to make that tackle because the defense of lawn is so bad. And I'm like, yeah, that's probably all well and true like but think about it if he wasn't there think about it if you didn't have those 192 tackles where the Falcons defense would be if he wasn't out there. And I think another thing another part of his game is that like he's this Mike linebacker that is very, very important to Dean P scheme and just being the guy to make the call across the defense and the fact that you have somebody that Dean very much trust in foyer able to do that and take on that role and to do it well and be productive in that role to not have to have someone else come in and relearn the scheme and how Dean wants it and how he wants the calls coming in and everything like that. I mean I think that goes a long way to so for me I am saying like pull what money you need to to resign for you and keep them here. I really think it's going to be fascinating because everybody who's listening to this podcast knows that the Falcons don't have mountains of salary cap space available they can't just like toss hundreds at people everywhere that they go. He's not just slapping it around necessarily just doesn't have that yet. So I think it'll be interesting to see how they do with the funds that they have and how they prioritize guys I, if we're just talking. Do you want for a back. Yeah you do. Do you want one of the best third down targets in the NFL back. Of course you do. Do you want a complimentary tight end. Of course you do, but it's just a matter of what you can afford what the market is there are so many factors here that I think it's going to be fascinating. Especially for, for like football nerds like us right because if you look at teams with tons of cap space and they go sign a list free agents okay and that's exciting on the first day of free agency, but how can the Falcons maximize the funds that they have to get the upgrades that are required. I think all those things are going to be interesting as they move forward, and we eventually see if this was the last game in a Falcons uniform for Russ for foyer for Hayden for a number of popular guys who have been representing a well in recent seasons. Going down to quarter number three talking about what the Falcons need where they need to upgrade the most now there's a lot of holes probably more than they can address over the course of one off season considering their salary cap constraints that we have been talking about. Tori you wrote a priority list a checklist as it stands right now as we enter the off season. What was your number one. What kind of went into your thinking when it came to making that list. Pass rush. I cannot stress this enough that the Falcons have to develop a pass rush, and they have to do it in multiple ways. I believe they have to do it through the draft and three free agency. I think this is going to be a complete overhaul I think it needs to be a complete overhaul. We can look at numbers all day long, but the fact of the matter is the reality is the Falcons have the worst pass rush in the NFL in 2021 period there were individuals with more sacks than the entire Falcons defense had that it is unacceptable Dean Pease was talking about it this week when he was like we have to develop a pass rush we just straight up need more and he was asked how do you do that and he was like well it can be through experience but it can also be through getting guys who have this God given talent to go out there and rush the pastor without you know a blitz being called or anything or applying a certain pressure I mean they just can go out and beat their guy. That's what the Falcons need so in terms of priorities. There will be nothing and I I'm very passionate about this there will be nothing that I will put ahead of pass rush this off season. They have got to get a pass rush and I will die on this hill. All right, I'm done. The Falcons played. I know sacks aren't a be all end all right, but but but but dot dot dot Falcons play 17 games this year. They had 17 sacks. That that does not compute to me so Chris rim if if pass rush was number one on your priority list if you were making one. If it is what's your number two if it wasn't what's your number one. I would say password would be a number why did I think also like Tori said Dean said that this week that they need that I also think if there's a pass rush or or even a another guy next to Grady. I think he looks a lot different and Grady looks and grady's numbers look a lot different. You know this year is numbers didn't look as good as they have because because of that. They could just focus on him but I would say on the other side just those those trucks those Ford F 150 those those trucks man you know when you look I thought I think the the game went the game against the Tampa Bay earlier this year the first time the Falcons play Tampa Bay I was just shocked to see how Grady could just stand back there and you know kind of not just against the Falcons but against any team if you watch you can kind of stand back there and you know do what he wants to do for a couple seconds and not not a shot to the offensive line but Matt Ryan can always do that and I think is his game is suited to where obviously doesn't need all day but he needs a second to go through a couple of progressions and oftentimes you. Matt is running frantically seen Matt run. I don't know I don't know what his rushing hours are this season but I think they might be a little high but I don't know seen him run machine I'm telling people in the end zone him diving in. Matt has been running more than than I guess I remember what we're watching the Falcons but I really think that this team would benefit on both sides and the trenches from just improving their offensive line and defensive line so I think those are the two things that they need to upgrade down there some more F 150s like. Yeah it's just crazy you talk about all that and they're probably going to need some Lamborghinis to right because there's we don't know one thing that we know is that we don't know what's what Calvin Ridley's future holds right could be here could not be here we don't know Russ Gage could find a great market for himself he could be gone and they and Cordero Patterson could be gone and they and they could have to refit their their skill positions as well so I think there's nobody can dispute nobody can dispute Tori's right right. I will add this about the wide receivers if they went all out today and allowed everybody who's a free agent in 2022 to walk the only people who would be in the wide receiver room would be Calvin Ridley and Frank Darby. Wow. Yeah. Okay. Everybody else is a free agent in 2022 and we don't even know kind of what the deal is going to be with Calvin either. Right. So there's there's a lot to work on. There are a lot of needs and I think that Terry Fontenot and Kyle Smith and the entire front office that there's a lot of different ways that they can upgrade this roster. They got a hit right and free agency and of course the NFL draft which we're getting to coming up next. And in the fourth quarter we are looking all the way towards beyond free agency towards late April and early May when the Falcons go on the clock at. We know the number now number eight overall the loss to the Saints pushed them well into the top 10 their strength of schedule. They have a higher pick than others that finished at seven and 10 so they are at number eight. That gives them a lot of options with what to do with number eight. You all are going to talk about this at bars around your basement pub table. Over the course of the next four months it's going to be fascinating to see where they go with this. It's pretty clear that there are some needs right pass rush. You're right I think even with everything else that is an issue that that has holes that need to be filled pass rush is right there I during the college football season. I watched Georgia because I'm on the bandwagon and I watch LA because that's where I went to school so don't ask me about the draft until senior bowl okay I need some time to do some research. But nonetheless number eight they're going to have an opportunity to nail a big time player at wide receiver edge rusher tackle. Those are all premium positions. Those are all positions worthy of really you know getting after it having that number eight pick Tori. Do you think that there's a golden opportunity there to a nail a big time player 100% and I think they have to especially if they go edge rusher early. I think back and I you know covering this this team I don't know if there's been a really solid edge rusher that they've drafted in those early rounds in a long long time. I may be wrong but just off the top of my head. So if they go I mean and then also I think about it too if they go offensive line and they go grab a tackle or a guard. They got a hit on that too you have three first rounders on the offensive line right now in Jake Matthews, Chris, Chris Lindstrom and Caleb McGarry. And I would say two of the three have panned out for you. And I think you have whatever direction you go you just have to hit on this first round pick it can't be a pick that doesn't pan out I know that's putting putting a lot of pressure on this organization and people making the decisions but I think they're putting just as much pressure on themselves I just think back to some decisions and some first round picks that in maybe the past 10 years didn't work out for the Falcons and how I feel like we're still feeling the ramifications of those picks not working out even today. So that pick is so so very important and I think you got to get someone who can come in and be a difference maker immediately like that's what we saw in 2021 we saw him come in and be a difference maker immediately a record breaker immediately. That's what the Falcons have to strive to find again in 2022. Yeah, and you brought up a great point there when it, it, it must be, it's difficult when when you invest a first round pick in somebody that doesn't pan out we know that panning out is 50% or something like that. But but but you look at it had to have to reinvest in offensive tackle after you did that two years ago is difficult. You talk about that they invested in edge rushers in 2015 with Vic Beasley, Vic Beasley 2017 with Tak McKinley those did not work out as they would have liked 2017 for Tak that's right he'd still be in his prime obviously edge rushers still a major need they have hit on wide receivers with Julio and Calvin obviously and Kyle Pitts who's an incredible skill player they hit on AJ last year as well so you know so you've got to hit follow college football maybe a little better than I do. Most probably does during the course of the season. When you look at mock drafts and stuff like that and you see some of these top 10 talents that you know like there are some guys that can really play whether it's edge rusher offensive tackle or even some other position that just my that just may be the best player on the on the on the Falcons board. I think I think something that stands out to me where rich McKay actually said in when I talked with him in for the season started I know that was September August one of those lifetime ago. One of the mistakes that we've made in the past is that we've tried to get I'm paraphrasing here but he said we've tried to, we've tried to pick the guy we wanted versus picking the top guy on our board. In this draft we just grabbed the top guy on our board, even though we kind of that wasn't necessarily a need. So Kyle wasn't necessarily a gaping hole but he was the best player on our board so we're taking the best player on our board. I think the Falcons should continue to take the best player on their board. So, however that looks continue to take the best player on your board and figure out a way to make that player work. If that makes sense. So, I think like Tori said I think they need to hit on other picks I think they need to figure out a way to make all their picks work, especially with the salary cap situation you want to make these guys on rookie deals that you can get for a cheaper than other players you want to make sure they could come in and contribute and you want to make sure that, you know, all these guys that we get stories on you know A-R-V and Kyle said the list goes on make sure you trust them and what and who they've scouted. And I think there's a bunch of talent in this draft. You know people have talked about like the Kobe Dean from Georgia, the linebacker from Georgia or even Jordan Davis or this bunch of ed rushers in this draft as well linemen. There's a bunch of players they could get but I think the importance is just take the best player on your board don't overthink it and things seem to work out like they have Kyle. Yeah, and they've got that number eight pick and while we still don't have draft slots for a lot of other selections deeper into the draft they do have two second round picks they have their own and they're finally going to get paid back for trading Julio Jones that pick they won't be super high in the second round but nonetheless you can expect or you should expect to get a player of real quality in the second round and that discipline to pick the best player available with with all these needs that we're talking about. Sure, look, I could say address or an eight period right I covered the raiders and I saw them at number four say we're going to take a defensive end here live or die, and then they took clean referral, and that's all right, so at some point, I mean that wasn't that was a defensive end though. Yeah. It was, you're right got, they got cross beat on that draft right. Yeah, eventually, you know, fourth rounders are people too. I do think I do think that the Falcons have have a golden opportunity here and I think just in talking to all these scouts right Kyle Smith very disciplined. You know Terry font no very disciplined in terms of getting the best player and if they continue to hit on getting the best player on their board. Eventually this team will be deep enough and strong enough to to compete. I think that's important. We're going to talk about this forever guys over the course of the weeks and months coming up. But I'm not sure to play some sad violin music right now because this is technically the season finale of Falcons final whistle. Also weeks, we did it for those binge binge listening season one is wrecked. You know, but I think there's going to be plenty of opportunities for us to talk down the road over the course of this off season, as we get towards free agency as we get towards NFL draft. Heck, as we all just have questions about what comes next. That's a little. What. So many questions. So many questions. Are we going to address some of those questions. Yeah, we probably will. So, gosh, thank you guys so much for sticking through this 17 game campaign for some for subscribing for all the nice reviews for the comments for the man given Tori a Dean's favorite mug. Honestly, the winner, the real winner is the person who sent me the Dean's favorite mug. If anyone wants to send me more Dean's favorite murder. We'll take it but hey man, set us up for next season give us a five star rating interview do the same thing for Falcons audible why don't you. And yeah man stay tuned Atlanta Falcons calm. Chris Tori, I said I wasn't going to cry man. I wasn't going to cry. It's been fun. Hopefully you guys have enjoyed all this as much as we've enjoyed making it. And stay tuned. Keep that subscribe button on and there's going to be more good content coming your way. Real soon.