Atlanta Falcons: A Quick Peek at Free Agency
March 13th is just a week and half away which means Coach Dan Quinn and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff have some serious roster decisions to make. Lets take a look at the prominent Atlanta Falcons Free Agents this year and lets figure out who has earned the right to stay and who just needs to go.
I’ve studied the list of all the Falcons free agents this year and let’s go ahead and remove Grady Jarrett from the discussion at this point. He is expected to be resigned by the Falcons anyway and there are plenty of writers on that story already. Seeing how The Atlanta Falcons are going to rework Julio Jones contract and resign Grady Jarrett. The Falcons are going to be looking for cheap options in the free agent market and resigning a few of their own. At this point it’s all a guess in anyone’s book!
OFFENSE
Atlanta has 4 lineman entering into free agency this year three guards and one tackle . I can see the Falcons front office resigning one of them but after the serious lack of blocking this year it wouldn’t surprise me if they just clean house.
Andy Levitre-G
Levitre was lost to a triceps injury early this past season and after two straight years of injuries probably wont be resigned. Even though he was willing to take a pay cut this past season, its hard to pay someone whose not on the field a lot. Dimitroff has to find interior lineman who can last an entire season and Levitre has shown that he just cant do it.
Ben Garland-G
Ben Garland is one of my favorites and an Atlanta Falcons fan favorite Ben has had a lot of playing time the last 2 years with his most memorable play being the safety against Seattle. Ben Garland has been a (some-what) capable backup for Atlanta. I look for Dimitroff to resign him. With another full off-season He may yet earn a starting guard spot, but I don’t see that happening he is only a backup at best.
Zane Beadles- G
Zane Beadles has been a journeyman around the league. Due to injury along the offensive line, Zane has played in 9 games this past year starting five of those. As I see Atlanta drafting a guard in this years draft and Dimitroff resigning Ben Garland, I do believe Zane plays somewhere else this year. Atlanta has a lot of work to do on the line and a lot of problems with blocking. I just don’t believe Zane is part of the solution.