 What's up everybody and welcome to the latest edition of the Falcons final whistle podcast We are coming to you on a bit of an unorthodox schedule because of the Christmas holiday I'm Scott bear Tory and Ashton are with me via fancy technology Because we enjoyed the Christmas holiday with our families We hope that you enjoyed it with yours and had a pleasant December 25th doing whatever you were doing Even if that meant like me you watch three consecutive games of football and ate more than his body weight in carne asada, so Yeah, well we have this tradition because we're from San Diego, so we do this San Diego specific meal as homage to our kind of past or whatever so That was fun. Tori. Did you have a good Christmas? I did spend it with my family up in Chickamauga. So I'm I'm feeling good I'm that's actually where I'm recording from right now in my family's kitchen. So there's there's just a lot Yeah, and Ashton you're still in the still in the ATL with your fam, right? How was your Christmas? Oh, and Atlanta Christmas is great, man. We had a nice seafood Watching NBA NFL games man. So it was it was really chill and nice to be with the family Yeah, so normally we normally we record this podcast right after the game is over with the emotions and the stats and everything fresh in Our minds but given what happened and given the delay in recording the podcast rehashing a game That was two days ago a game that didn't go well for the Falcons and actually formally eliminated them from the playoffs We figured one. We didn't really want to rehash that game I don't necessarily know that you want to rehash that game So we can't we put our brains together our mighty IQs and came up with a new plant And it's this we're gonna try to spin this thing forward a little bit Using a question that was asked of head coach Arthur Smith at the very end of his post game press conference And it was this what do you want now that the playoffs are out of the picture formally and mathematically out of the picture? What do you want to see from your team over the next two weeks? And I think that's a good question worth pondering his immediate answer was he wants two things He wants to see progress and he wants victories If we only said that and stop the podcast sponsors probably wouldn't be happy So we're gonna go ahead and expand on that a little bit and dive deeper into what we want to see from certain positions from certain players and that Idea was not mine. I went over to Atlanta Falcons.com. I read Tori McElaney's amazing story on On the record I told Scott when I was writing it I was like this is like there are some days I think as journalists you write things that you're like wow I am so good at my job This is so good. And then there are other things that you write and you're just like This isn't good. Why am I doing this? I feel like everybody probably has that feeling in their job Yeah, everybody just happens to read ours. So I told Scott I was like this is so not good and then he goes and makes an entire podcast Just about this story. Am I doing it just to bother you a little bit? Maybe I'm not sure But I was but I was inspired by the idea it wasn't as bad as you think it was it never is And but anyway, so Tori's gonna kind of guide us through this because as Falcons fans Sure, like you can dream about a draft pick, right? But then they're not gonna take that draft pick for months and months and months, right? We're talking about immediate analysis what fans can look for where there are problem spots as Terry font know and the fan base and Tori Scott and Ashton continue to compile an off-season priority list about what they need to get done with more than 70 million dollars in Capspace some pretty good draft capital now There's only one list that matters and that's Terry's right ours doesn't as much but that won't stop us from talking about it So Tori, what did you kind of identify as you were watching that Ravens game? And you looked at some different positions that may have been weaker or may have raised an eyebrow or prompted some uncertainty What did you kind of think that the Ravens game showed you about the Falcons and what they need to address moving forward? Yeah, so I Starting off just kind of like where you're talking about setting the scene knowing kind of what the Falcons have at their disposal come the start of the league year and how realistically they could have Between 80 and 90 million dollars in Capspace which would be in the top Three Capspaces in the league and that's the first time that we're saying this about this Falcons organization in a very very long time They took over 80 million dollars of dead-cap money on the chin in order to be in 2022 in order to be in a better financial situation in 2023 so all of that being said you would think that they would have not just the draft capital but also just a monetary value of having more space in the salary cap to Make significant moves in free agency probably being conversations within the trade market and then also have a pretty Relatively you'd hope good draft class. So All of that being said looking at this lost of Baltimore I kind of was just sitting there in the press box and I told Scott even as the game was kind of coming to an end I was like, I don't want to write about this game. I have to push it forward Like that's just what we're gonna do And so I kind of broke it down into three offensive positions and three defensive positions that I feel like the Falcons you know should prioritize in the offseason whether that be via free agency a trade the draft whatever so Y'all wanna y'all Which which side do you want me to start with? Oh, you know, I want answer deep I want to start with the most premium position on the planet. How about that for alliteration? Let's go straight to Yep, yep, that's it. That's the one definitely not the one with the low numbers and the guys who throw the ball around Yeah, why don't I mean like that's you know Yeah, and I mean like we're gonna talk quarterback a lot during the offseason But I do think it's relevant now and it will continue to be relevant moving forward. So let's start with Des Let's start with quarterback situation. We still have two more games in which we are going to get more Evaluations of him. I mean we still need to see more of him I do think I believe Arthur Smith and Desmond Ritter when they were talking about that there was progress from Desmond Ritter's first start To his second star. I think you saw him be a little bit more comfortable in the pocket I didn't think that he had as many Happy feet moments is what I was calling it after that first game But there's still there's still two games that you can really Have at your disposal to decide what you want to do With Desmond Ritter moving forward and if you want to give him a shot as a starter in 2023 However, even in saying that quarterback has to be a priority for this organization this offseason I think it goes without saying that Right now the only two people that are in this quarterback room are Desmond Ritter and Logan Woodside Who was just picked up what a week and a half ago and Marcus Marriota was placed on IR? I think the Falcons this is just me saying this But if you cut Marcus Marriota before June 1st, you have significant cap savings upwards of 12 million dollars So I'm I'm gonna go I'm gonna you do with that information what you will so What could the Falcons do at the quarterback position? Well, they just need to build it back up and I think you need to do that regardless of What Desmond Ritter does in the next two games what he shows you in the next two games? You need to build up this room with in my opinion another starting caliber Guy you need someone if it's gonna be Desmond Ritter as your 2023 starter fine Go out and get someone who's gonna push from behind him if it's not gonna be Desmond Ritter You need a starter so Either way you slice it to me quarterback has to be a priority this offseason and in whatever capacity that looks like Ashton Yeah, and and and I don't think that you're wrong. I mean just if we're talking about your numbers They need quarterbacks And and I think competition never hurts ashton kind of getting into what Desmond Ritter said At the end of that Ravens game and then try to spin it forward for us here that that he talked about the progress that he saw between And you wrote about the progress seen between weeks one and two kind of tell us what that was and then also What else do you want to see from him over the next two weeks? That would show you that he's headed in the right direction for shorter Yeah, Desmond talked a lot about just being patient within the pocket something that he wasn't in Week 15 against the Saints and he felt like he took that next step and we 17 against the Ravens I would say his passing percentage. He was he he was 16 percent higher in his passing percentage against the Ravens And he threw 121 more yards than he did Against the Saints in the Ravens game So I think his passing efficiency was was way better against the Ravens, but we still haven't seen him throw a touchdown get He still he doesn't have any turnovers, which is really good from Desmond and from a rookie quarterback He's played against some really good defense over the last two weeks the Saints and the Ravens So I think that says a lot about his playing style and his character as a quarterback But I think we need to see him score and make plays in a raison That it was a lot of inefficiency in a raison against the Ravens and you know, I think that's what hurt the Falcons They lost by eight points, you know, they they should have scored a touchdown and brought the game back But they didn't so I think what I want to see from Desmond moving forward is Really just being more efficient in red zone situations because I think that's that's what's been a big struggle for the Falcons offense Yeah, and he starts slow. We've seen that. I think he was what one for four in this game And then he got hot on the second quarter. I Thought there were there were more upward signs from him in that Ravens game that I'd seen from Marcus Mariota in ways that I could project moving forward It's encouraging, right? But is he gonna do something against Arizona and Tampa Bay that says We're just gonna go find the best backup that we can find is that gonna happen over the next two games I don't think so. I really don't and I think that goes back to the level of Competition and it's not Desmond Raiders fault or he didn't do anything wrong He's a rookie quarterback who has four games to show what he can do and I don't care Which rookie that you look at there's tons of Hall of Famers that struggle when they started and didn't get revved up for a little bit And those things happen. He's you know, kind of thrown into a tough situation I say all that to say this is that if you're sitting there at whatever draft spot that you have and Quarterbacks the best player available on your board and you fell in love with somebody Take them right and then don't worry about it or if you feel I mean like Desmond Ritter in my opinion, no matter what he does cannot complicate that Equation in your brain, right that if you get there and you're it. I don't know for I'm just using a crazy example. You're at for I don't even know if they can get to four But you're at four and somehow some way Bryce young like slips to four and you love him take him That's it end of story if you're at eight or ten you out and there's a quarterback sitting there Take him if it's not don't stress and don't reach and I think that that's kind of where they are there's also a trend these days, right of Making big veteran quarterback moves that we've seen how much have we seen moving? So many in the last like five years. There have been so many Trademark blockbuster veteran quarterback moves and some of them worked and some of them have not right. Yeah Right. I eat Denver. I eat Washington. I eat We we love Matt, but that didn't work out in Indianapolis, right the the Falcons won that trade Let's just say it so I you do have to be cautious with what you're getting But there are always possibilities in the trade market in moving people around the Falcons have The space to absorb a highly paid veteran quarterback While also not sacrificing their future. That's the financial spot that they're in so I think the major takeaway here from this quarterback conversation is all options are on the table and that's not Normally, I think when a fan hears that they think well Desmond stinks or he hasn't been good enough. That's not what we're saying No, I think Asher brought up some some good points about ways that he's made progress and Areas where he needs to continue to make progress 0 for 4 in the red zone is a problem, right? It just that's a I would say like that's a team problem So sure. Yeah, one like 100% but you know the quarterback as You know a figurehead of that unit I think needs to be better and but no matter what he does Even if he goes out and he throws for 400 against Arizona and for touchdowns against Tampa I still don't think it changes the math enough for you to be Wary of going out and making a major quarterback commitment. So I think that that's one area You know that there's gonna be some The there's a possibility that they lose Caleb McGarry and free agency But he and Chris Chris Lindstrom have been so stable Tori you chose to focus on some skill positions Why don't we just combine? Yeah? Yeah, absolutely because I honestly I think when it comes I didn't put offensive line on that list because I feel like there's a lot of different factors within the offensive line That I think the Falcons actually have a really really good group right now that if they could keep together I wouldn't hate that so I didn't actually put offensive line on this list for that reason now To the other side of things I did put a couple skill spots And it's not running back because I think you have for something really really good and Tyler Algear Tyler Algear and Cordero Patterson I focus more on wide receiver and tight end And I think those are two positions that you could go out in free agency and really be players in those positions And I say free agency because you spent Two of your first-round draft picks on Kyle Pitts and Drake London Over the last two years you really want to go skill for a third year in a row While this quarterback position is in flux That's kind of the question that I played with so but I do think you could go out and you could in free agency and find some Really really good tight ends to fill up behind Kyle Pitts You need I think because of the way that Arthur Smith Operates his offense with so many multiple tight insets that you could really use another kind of big play Pass catcher type tight end not that there's anything wrong with what Parker Hesse and Anthony Fiercer and Michael Pruitt did this year But when Kyle Pitts went down You I mean you're never gonna replace Kyle Pitts just with one singular person And so I think finding someone to kind of pair well with Kyle Pitts at that position is should be a priority I also think looking at this white receiver group you have Drake London and You have Alameda Zaccheos And that kind of feels like it and I just feel like you could use some guys I use this example and I want to say this that it was an example But guys like a T Higgins or a Tyler Boyd that the Falcons faced Earlier in the year when we went up to Cincinnati those type of receivers. I'm not saying go out and get those two guys I'm saying that's kind of the prototype Thought process that I have of like what is a good looking receiver that would work well in this system So that's those those two positions I I put I wrote quite a bit about and that's kind of basically the summer summary of that Yeah, um, when you look at wide receiver depth one, I'm not sure any Buddy is under contract outside of Drake London Right. Yeah, right. So they have an opportunity there and I think what we saw against Baltimore and what we've seen since Kyle Pitts has Gotten hurt is that there is a lack of depth there 100% and Yes, Desmond has a strong chemistry and connection with Drake London But the but the target share that he's getting is sky high and it's appropriate because he's the one who can consistently make Who can get separation who can make high traffic catches and we're seeing that and I look I talked to Drake after the Ravens game And I said, can you separate the fumble? From and he's had two fumbles in two weeks Can you separate the fumble from all the other good things that you did? And I kind of liked his answer because his answer was no He said the fumble ruined everything else that and I and and I know that it's right after the game, right? Like I get that and he had to Yeah, I'm not rehashing the game here But he did things technically right and then he cut his sleeves off because he thought his sleeves had something to he's called He called that that fumble the last straw for his sleeves. So maybe we don't see him anymore, especially maybe we never see the sleeves again It's it's it's very go on and have a very like prosperous Of career sand sleeves. Yeah, and I think you will I don't I'm not worried about Drake London No, yeah, it's it's filling in around that and they've done it for the last couple years I remember getting to this point after Calvin was unavailable where you looked around in that wide receiver room No offense to tajé sharp, right, but those guys just couldn't get separation and alameda is a good player He's a good piece, but you definitely need more of those I mean gosh you go back to the offseason and the falcons were like building a basketball team right now Right, it's not like none of them worked out and none of them worked out So you do need to take Another swing there Ashton when you look at what alameda is zakias has done, right? He had a strong connection with with marcus mariota I I think he's a good player Is that a guy from what you've seen if you're playing? GM do you go ahead and bring him back and do you kind of understand what tori's talking about that? Look, they have cow pits. They have a fleshed out tight end room But maybe maybe they need more there considering how this offense runs Yeah, I definitely agree with what sori said. Um, I I think you do look at a guy like alameda zakias He's been I would say he's been very consistent and efficient over the course of this season He's a veteran. So he he he has a lot of that veteran leadership and veteran experience within the game Um, but I do think you should look at that position specifically because Drake london is the only I would say the only challenge really against defenses that the falcons have played He's the only player that has a mast over 70 plus yards in the last three games. Everybody else has probably I think only cut for maybe 20 or less yards And I think that's a problem like Defenses pick up on that and I think we saw it in a ravens game It looked like jake london sometimes where it was getting double team and and you know, you need other players to step up The bangles like sori said they have jamar chase the higgins And and those dynamic where I receive is you need somebody opposite of drake london To to be really electric and efficient And I think oz has done like I said, I think he's been consistent But I think because he he has that experience he should be a little more Of a challenge against defenses Um, but to answer your question I do think the falcons should look at bringing oz back. He's a great great piece of the offense and um You know, I think he'll bring a lot of that next season Yeah, I will say this too. Arthur Smith loves oz Yeah, he does he does There's one thing we I feel like we've learned about Arthur Smith It's like if he gives somebody crap about something he really likes them and he gives oz crap about going to virginia all the time Yeah, and when I look at it, I think ashton brings up a good point outside of drake london who scares you Yeah, and it's silence right the who who makes it in opposing coordinator go All right, we got to do some funky stuff for that guy We got to leave ourselves vulnerable to make sure that that guy doesn't beat us And I think that a lomade gets better when the wide receiver room gets deeper, right? If he's the or you have cow pits on the field Yes 100 so when you add cow pits back that's that's another guy that definitely scares you and I think that He and drake can be a good one too, but adding another guy who actually plays wide receiver I think is important also and when and when it comes to tight ends I don't necessarily want to see like I mean cow pits like There's a few people like him, but I don't want to see a guy who's like receiver forward I want to see like a balanced guy who can get 450 yards or something like that Yeah, and those are the types of things that I think that you could really identify and look As we I mean Tyler Huntley can move around the pocket pressuring him isn't easy But for the second straight year the pass rush is ranked among the worst in the league And I think that that has been evident while the Falcons have done a good job on critical downs And have stayed in these games and we're not we're not going to sit around and rip his defense I think Dean P's cares about one thing Preventing points from being scored and they've done a good job of that. I They've allowed what less than 25 and every game of the last what six seven seven Thank you. And they've only won one of those. That's not a positive they lost a game in Baltimore after allowing 17 And they lost in New Orleans after giving up two early scores and then clamping down They've done well on critical downs. That doesn't mean That we're just like ready to roll with this crew next year, right? There needs to be upgrades in my opinion, especially in the front seven That's where we're going to spend most of the time focusing Um as we kind of look to you know, condense this thing here a little bit Tori because look they need Help at outside cornerback. They're going to get Casey Hayward back. I would continue to add depth there But let's really focus on that front seven and what you saw against Baltimore that kind of said Oh, they need more here. They need more there Absolutely So I let's start with the end to your defensive line. Grady Jarrett's not going anywhere He shouldn't go anywhere. Grady Jarrett has had a really good year despite what I think a lot of outside People have said or not said about him. Yeah, not said I think like I don't I am going to stop you there because I because I think this is an important point Because Grady Jarrett has six and a half sacks. He's been instrumental in every victory and in keeping these guys close But you know, he's not getting a ton of respect. He was very upset with words We can't use on this podcast Talking about the disappointment of exiting the playoffs. So let's just before we get into everything else I do think that Grady Jarrett should be respected more league-wide. He's on a team. That's not very good But let's talk about a little bit about what he's done as a leader Um this season, you know, I I just think he's been phenomenal as a leader and an on-field producer Yeah, no, I completely agree. I mean Grady Jarrett is the type of guy who I don't think Here's the thing is It's really when you watch Grady Jarrett play when you really watch him play you see Even if he's not getting a sack even if he's not getting a tackle for a loss He is making things happen for this defense because he's getting double triple teamed at times Now what the Falcons need to do and it's the same conversation as what we had last year We need to see the Falcons go out and build up This defensive line around Grady Jarrett And I think they did a good job of that by adding I I think to Kwong Graham's Development has been something that has flown under the radar in in this year And I I think he's coming back and after you know now He's on IR but should come back after that knee injury and and hopefully he'll be at the level that he left And I think that's another really good piece You go out and you get Arnold Evacati Who I think again has had really good developmental moments You've seen glimpses and flashes of the guy that the Falcons traded up into the second round to get So All of that being said they've done they've done the work up until this point that the work's not done So for me you I need to see depth Across the defensive interior and what's really interesting is the Falcons tried to do that this year You know Like if you look back on the moves that they made in the off season and the the group they had put together Within this defensive interior to help out Grady Jarrett. It was actually a pretty good group But the only ones that are left Is Grady Jarrett. He's the only one that's left. Everybody else either retired got hurt Got cut. I mean this this defensive interior Position has really gone through it in 2022 So it's going back to the drawing board and being like, okay We just have Grady Jarrett right now. You hope you'll get to Kwong Graham Off of IR and he'll be back to normal But outside of that you had Abdullah Anderson Jalen Dalton and timmy horn nothing against those guys But those guys were fighting for roster spots in august You don't need a guy who's fighting for a roster spot You need a guy who's proven in this league and who can come in and make a difference immediately And same thing goes for the ed rusher position as well I would love to see the falcons go out and get a really good veteran ed rusher who's stat line And history in the league strikes fear into opposing offensive linemen every single time he's on the field That's my feel Yeah, I mean ashen. How do you take a look at at the younger Ed rusher specifically eva katie and de angelo malone Who's kind of been a work in progress? But um, nonetheless, you know, kind of evaluate what you see from those guys For those who don't know ashen was also an ed rusher. So he should know a little bit about this How do you view those guys? Um, and you know, also, I think as to tori's point that they still need to add there Yeah, I think um Arnold eva katie and de angelo malone have both like I think they're they both progressed well over the course of this season Um, but I do think that they haven't made enough plays this season um, you know, I think eva katie ranks in the top 10 for uh, rookie Outside linebackers and and sex. Um, but de angelo malone. He's only had I think he only has one one sec this season um And and like tori said, you need somebody on the outside that is is going to cause pressure and it's going to be a threat on the outside I grew up watching james harrison And he was every I feel like every offensive line was was scared of james harrison. Let's right, you know, let's just be honest um, and you need like they're rookies But again, you still need those guys to um come off the edge a little bit faster a little more electric a little bit stronger um to to make quarterbacks nervous and and and that's just what it is. Um Just to go back to grady jared's point. Um Earlier in the season bmp said, you know, if If you saw pro and a dictionary grady jared's name would be behind that Um comes to practice every day. He comes to games every day works his butt off and does what he does and you do need somebody on the opposite side of grady jared's who cause heavy and um again Nothing against timmy hornabula anderson and jaylon dalton, but like tori said that these guys were fighting for roster spot um, and you know, they gave up I think 150 plus yards in the last three games and rushing um And that's that's just something that the falcons can't do because teams have been breaking down this defense for A long time and I do think you need more solid guys Up up front and that interior defense It's so interesting that that you brought up james harrison and here's why I was about ready to make a point uh using my time covering the uh san francisco 49ers as an example Right because they've created this harrowing defense right um, and it's built off of first round draft picks who are defensive linemen And then you look at james harrison, right and I think he was undrafted but But uh, but nonetheless I'm not going to scour his wikipedia page to make sure that that's correct, but nonetheless um when you look at The defensive lines that really scare you and I think defensive lines that the falcons have played just seeing them personally I think of the talent and we didn't even see chase young But the talent collected along washington's defensive front There's a lot of first round picks right there The san francisco's defensive front was banged up, but if you look at it what they've drafted Bosa kin law armstead and buckner who's now with indianapolis But nonetheless that they have gotten quality from those top spots Just because you draft and a defensive lineman high doesn't mean that You're gonna get a quality guy But I think that this is one of those positions Where you need to address it with every available asset that you have young went through the draft And veterans I think a good veteran knows tackle just a big body dude who can be right over the You know right over the center sometimes Is what like would be helpful and that guy who scares you in terms of how you're going to spend your money You look at premium positions and it's cornerback quarterback Edge rusher and receiver in my opinion and tackle obviously But nonetheless you need to go out and get people that scare you because as we've said and as we've discussed That isn't happening enough and Intimidators are typically focused on defense But I think that as we wrap up this this podcast we can all agree because we're talking about drake right drake scares you Kyle scares you who else That's the thing that the falcons need they need to go find guys who make coordinators shake in their shoes and there aren't enough of those guys around to Really keep opposing teams off balance. So that's the lesson Right. I just came up with it There we go There it is is that we look at all these positions and I think what over the course of the next two weeks, right that we need to see Arthur nailed it victories and progress But I don't think anything that happens in the next two weeks is going to change our opinion about Whether they need another edge rusher or not, right? That the sample size of what we have had to this point is too big To all of a sudden be like, oh, uh, lorenzo carter finished with Six sacks in the last two games. We don't need or the falcons don't need another edge rusher. So, um, I think we'd say that about quarterback and we can kind of really Try to use our minds here in our microscopes and try to identify. Okay, which pieces are where which pieces Can help you and how to create the offseason priority list The last falcons final whistle will just create the priority list. My goodness. The inspiration is coming from on high So, there we go Mr. Zoom is telling us that we need to get the heck out of here. We're not going to do what we did last time We're literally we went to like the final second. We were like watching it tick down Literally 10 seconds new record for us. Yeah, I said that we'd be out of here in 20 minutes. We were not so Yes, we were yes. We were this has been going before we started recording. Yeah. Oh, okay. Well, well then yay good Yay on us. Uh, so anyway, uh, let's go ahead and wrap this thing Right here. Thank you everyone for listening to the latest edition of the falcons final whistle podcast Please please please pretty please with sugar or a christmas tree star on top Rate review subscribe to the falcons podcast network. Why don't you? I'm scott. I'm looking at tori national. Thank you so much for sticking with us all year. We have two more episodes in this season Stay tuned talk to you next week