Over the last two days, we have looked at the average age of each of the Atlanta Falcons' positions on offense and defense and then the combined age of the three prominent special teams positions (links below). Today, we will look at the average age of the roster and positional groups, and then look at each position from youngest to oldest.
- The average age of each of the Falcons' offensive positions
- The average age of each of the Falcons' defensive positions & special teams
The Falcons were able to add a number of veterans to what was a very young roster. The average age has spiked over the past few months but that isn't a big deal considering the Falcons still have a solid young core, which is here to stay.
The average age of the entire Atlanta Falcons roster, as it sits right now
The Atlanta Falcons are in the middle of a dead period as we wait for training camp to commence on July 27th. The offseason roster is basically set. We know the majority of the players who will be on the final 53-man roster but for now, there are 90 players who have a shot to be one of those 53 players.
For now, though, we are focusing on all 90 players. Without further ado, here is the average age of the Falcons' team, along with four other positional groups:
Average age of the Falcons:
*Excludes injured RB Avery Williams (IR)*
Group | Average age | # of players |
|---|---|---|
Team | 26.02 | 91 |
Offense | 25.87 | 44 |
Defense | 26.1 | 42 |
Special teams | 26.94 | 4 |
The few special teams players inflate the age of the roster by a few ticks. The average between offense and defense is 25.99 years old. Either way, the Falcons are not held down by aging players with large contracts as they have been in the past.
Average age of positional groups:
Group | Average age | # of players |
|---|---|---|
Skill positions | 25.82 | 28 |
Offensive line | 25.96 | 16 |
Front-7 | 26.55 | 25 |
Secondary | 25.45 | 17 |
As you can see, the Falcons have youth at the speed positions (secondary and skill positions) which is a good sign. It is generally an excellent idea to go with youth where you need speed and veterans where you need experience.
On the next slide we will sort the age of positions from youngest to oldest.
Atlanta Falcons positions from youngest to oldest
As previously mentioned (and linked), we have already reviewed the age of each position for the Atlanta Falcons' current 90-man roster. Their defense is a little bit older than their offense but, surprisingly, their youngest position is on the defense.
Special teams, once again, will not be included because two of the positions have only one player and the other has two. Here is the age of each position from youngest to oldest.
Falcons positions from youngest to oldest:
Position | Age | # of players |
|---|---|---|
Cornerback | 25.31 | 10 |
Running back | 25.32 | 6 |
Wide receiver | 25.37 | 11 |
Tight end | 25.48 | 7 |
Linebacker | 25.63 | 9 |
Safety | 25.64 | 7 |
Interior offensive line | 25.82 | 9 |
Offensive tackle | 26.14 | 7 |
Edge rusher | 26.2 | 5 |
Defensive line | 27.47 | 11 |
Quarterback | 27.5 | 3 |
Fullback | 31.21 | 1 |
I think it is safe to say that most Falcons fans would not guess that cornerback is the team's youngest position. Personally, my guess would have been running back, so I would have been wrong by .01.
Look at the bottom six positions, those are positions where having veterans is so important. But on the flip side, youth is usually associated with speed, and having speed at cornerback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, linebacker, and safety never hurts. Obviously, just because you are young, doesn't mean you are fast but it is a general principle.
Anyways, Terry Fontenot knows what he is doing and it looks like he knows about all of these analytics because it is perfectly set up, at least in my opinion.