Atlanta Falcons: Four position battles to watch for heading into the 2020 season
By Deen Worley
The Atlanta Falcons added depth and filled holes through free agency and the draft. This added depth will spotlight several key position battles.
The Atlanta Falcons let several staple figures go on both sides of the ball including Devonta Freeman and Desmond Trufant. These two roles were filled by running back Todd Gurley in free agency and drafting cornerback A.J. Terrell 16th overall in the draft.
While Todd Gurley will headline the offseasons acquisitions, it’s probable that the biggest upgrade will be via the signing of Dante Fowler and bolstering the pass rush. Fowler favored the move to Atlanta due yo the relationship he and head coach Dan Quinn have from their days at the University of Florida together.
Fowler is coming off of his career-best with 11.5 sacks, 58 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits. Fowler was brought in to replace the former Top 10 pick in 2015, Vic Beasley.
Since 2016, Beasley has only managed 18 sacks and just 25 quarterback hits. in 2019, Beasley blitzed the quarterback 34 times and only applied pressure seven times.
There are a number of positions that won’t have a true battle for starting jobs such as the quarterback position, wide receiver, tight end, majority of the offensive line, and middle linebacker.