There are not very high hopes for the Atlanta Falcons heading into the 2022 season. The franchise went 7-10 in 2021 and further worsened their chances of competing by trading away Matt Ryan after his 14 years with the organization. Atlanta is looked at to have a much greater chance of landing the number one pick in the draft.
Regardless, the team will still have its intentions set on fielding the best team each and every week. As the depth charts have begun to be released, the pictures are beginning to be painted for what the Falcons roster will look like. However, things are far from settled with several more weeks of training camp and preseason still in store. Here are two Falcons starters who are in danger of losing their job ahead of the season kicking off.
Falcons first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs in 2022
2)Cordarrelle Patterson (Running Back)
Cordarrelle Patterson had a career-riving year last season with the Falcons. The journeyman has primarily served as a kick returner and special teams player for most of his career while mixing in some gimmick plays on offense. This changed last season as the Falcons used Patterson primarily as a running back and relied on him fairly heavily. At age 30 Patterson set a career-high in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns as well as overall touches and yards from scrimmage. The former first-round pick eclipsed 1000 scrimmage yards for the first time in his career.
While it is great to see Patterson succeeding, it also is incredibly rare for a running back to find his stride after turning 30. His raw athleticism and speed are assets, but last year has been the lone season he has seen success in this type of role. While slotting him in a Deebo Samuel-type role makes some sense, counting on Patterson as the lone option may not be the best route to success.
When looking beyond Cordarrelle Patterson on the depth chart, Tyler Allgeier is next in line for carries. Allgeier was drafted in the fifth round of the most recent draft and has had a fairly strong camp. At the minimum, he appears to be in line for splitting carries, and there is a real chance he becomes the lead back. The 22-year-old showed real potential to be a lead back during his time at BYU. He eclipsed 1000 yards in his last two years of college and ran for 1601 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2021. There also is running back competition behind these two as Damien Williams, Avery Williams, Caleb Huntley and Qadree Ollison are each pushing for reps and a roster spot as well. Patterson is certainly in line for some touches this season, but don't expect him to clinch a place as the permanent lead back.
1)Matt Hennessy (Center)
One of the most interesting positional battles has been at the center position. It has been considered truly up for grabs between Drew Dalman and Matt Hennessy who have each received first-team reps. Hennessy held down the starting job last season and has been a part of the offensive line the past two years. The Temple product is known for his toughness and grit but lacks a little bit in his size and power.
On the other hand, Drew Dalman was drafted as a fourth-round pick in last year's draft. The Stanford product was selected by the new front office which is a point in his favor and has received some praise during camp. It is also worth noting that he is the son of former NFL Center and Offensive line coach Chris Dalman who played for the Falcons in 2005 and 2006. He also is slightly undersized and lacks power but makes up for it with his high football IQ and athleticism.
As things currently stand, Matt Hennessy is listed as the starting center. Seeing both guys in some game action will certainly play a role in the decision as the week one starter has yet to be made. Keep an eye out for this battle as preseason begins.
While NFL training camp is always loaded with positional battles, this especially seems to be the case in Atlanta. The organization is firmly in its rebuilding process and will likely be more willing to give young players a chance. The linebacker, corner, and safety groups also seem to have some intriguing battles going on. The Falcons will begin their preseason matchups tonight (Friday) against the Detroit Lions. Expect the performances from this matchup and the preseason games moving forward to be taken under strong consideration as the final depth chart gets closer to being established.
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