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Five Atlanta Falcons who could see expanded roles in 2016

By Colin Hubbard

Dec 13, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Justin Hardy (16) is tackled by Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman (24) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. The Carolina Panthers remain undefeated with a 38-0 win over Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Justin Hardy (16) is tackled by Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman (24) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. The Carolina Panthers remain undefeated with a 38-0 win over Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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2) Jalen Collins – CB

November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) scores a touchdown against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins (32) during the second quarter at Levi
November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) scores a touchdown against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins (32) during the second quarter at Levi /

Jalen Collins was the Atlanta Falcons’ second-round pick in Dan Quinn’s first go at it and didn’t perform very well in his rookie season. Hardy battled injury all throughout training camp and as a result, he didn’t start off well at all.

Collins was used very sparingly for much of the season but did manage to have a couple of nice plays here and there. His worst game came against the Houston Texans in which he gave up several big plays to end the game. The Falcons had pulled their starters due to a large lead which gave Collins a lot of playing time on the outside.

Collins at the moment is set up to be the Falcons’ third-best corner. His size is what makes him such an intriguing player. He’s a 6-foot-2 corner which is the perfect size to have in a Quinn defense and his role will mainly be as a nickel. We could see him moved to the outside while seeing a guy like Desmond Trufant or Robert Alford move inside on those certain packages.

The Falcons have been linked to some other nickel corners such as Brandon Boykin and if they were to sign one, that could mean Collins won’t have that much of an expanded role in 2016. However, at the moment he will be on the field a lot more whether he has improved or not. Only time will tell.

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