Atlanta Falcons: No excuses for Kyle Shanahan, offense now

With the offseason additions made by the Atlanta Falcons on offense, no more excuses can be made for Kyle Shanahan.

If the Falcons offense struggles as it did in 2015, changes will need to be made.

The unit boasts one of the league’s elite wide receivers, a young star at running back and now one of the more solid offensive line units in the game.

Last year, botched snaps, poor decisions by Matt Ryan and no complement for Julio Jones held the offense back. Those days are gone. With Mohamed Sanu signed in free agency, the Falcons believe they have their No. 2 to ease the pressure off Jones.

Ryan made some poor decisions throwing the football last season. Maybe it was down to needing time to learn Shanahan’s scheme. Maybe it was down to a lack of talent outside of Jones at receiver. That excuse can no longer be made.

With Alex Mack‘s arrival at center, the Falcons offensive line is poised to be one of the strongest in the NFL when healthy. Two young talents at tackle in Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder along with experienced Andy Levitre and Chris Chester at the guard spots make up the line. Depth is the only concern.

With a 1-2 a punch of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman in the backfield, a combination of rookie Austin Hooper and Jacob Tamme at tight end and Justin Hardy developing as the third option at wide receiver, Ryan has a talented supporting cast.

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If the offense faces the same struggles it did last season, it can’t simply be put down to a talent problem. There is more than enough talent on the roster to be able to move the ball consistently on offense. Barring any major injuries to Matt Ryan, Julio Jones or the offensive line, Atlanta should be poised to bounce back.

A failure to do so could mean Shanahan’s future is cloudy.