Falcons Audible: Arthur Smith & Terry Fontenot - first impressions, first moves, and looking ahead to Free Agency, the draft, and the future

Tori and Scott break down what to expect from Falcons OTAs and minicamp, including storylines to follow during this practice-heavy portion of the offseason program. Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Casey Hayward, among others, will be top of mind for players to keep a close eye on as we move forward. But, as always, the primary focus will be on quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder.

Scott, Kris and Tori discuss every aspect of the Falcons 2022 schedule, including key matchups, dates and times of the most important games, including those at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They break down the tough stretches and easy roads, identifying whether the Falcons can exceed expectations while navigating a tough slate.

NFL Network senior writer/reporter and Falcons contributor Steve Wyche joins the Scott, Tori and Kris to break down Atlanta's NFL Draft from every angle, including the selections of Drake London and Desmond Ridder. We also react to the Grady Jarrett extension news, which broke as we were recording, and then provided a big-picture analysis of where the Falcons stand after the draft.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro; Steve Wyche joins the pod!!!

(00:07:40): Why the Falcons went with Drake London at No. 8

(00:16:15): What it means landing QB Desmond Ridder at No. 74

(00:25:38): Reaction to Grady Jarrett extension news (which broke while we were recording!!)

(00:31:10): National perception of what Terry Fontenot, Arthur Smith are doing with Falcons roster

Derek and Dave discuss the Atlanta Falcons' No. 8 pick, WR Drake London and how his selection could impact the picks in the following days.

Kris, Tori and Scott discuss how the Falcons can use five selections in the top 82 overall to improve their roster, by trading up or down in the draft or simply five possible impact players. We take it a step further and break down which positions should be prioritized, and whether the Falcons should target a quarterback to challenge Marcus Mariota and possibly succeed Matt Ryan as franchise quarterback.

Derek, Dave and DJ discuss their picks for the 2022 NFL Draft, identify key areas the Atlanta Falcons will focus, and dive into what Free Agency and 'Sleeper Picks' will do to this year's roster.

Scott, Tori and Kris evaluate the state of the Falcons edge rushers and receivers, and how Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith can strengthen those position groups in the 2022 NFL Draft and beyond. That includes the possibility of using the No. 8 overall pick, or a trade down in the first round on one of those two spots. It also looks at helping those positions over the long haul, as opposed to reaching for a quick fix.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro

(00:05:05): Edge rusher or receiver with No. 8 overall pick?

(00:09:46): Considering Jermaine Johnson, Chris Olave as trade-down targets

(00:14:16): Assessing how to fix edge rusher position in NFL Draft and beyond

(00:24:20): Assessing how to fix receiver position in NFL Draft, free agency, trades

Scott Bair, Tori McElhaney and Kris Rhim react to news that Calvin Ridley has been suspended for at least the 2022 season for violating the NFL's gambling policy, breaking down how it impacts the Falcons offseason, including the importance of re-signing Russell Gage and whether this changes the odds the Falcons take a receiver at No. 8 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, initial thoughts on Ridley news

(00:02:57): How Ridley suspension impacts Falcons salary-cap space

(00:07:22): How loss of Ridley as a player or trade asset impacts Falcons offseason plan

(00:15:34): Is it more important to re-sign Russell Gage?

(00:21:16): Should Falcons now take WR at No. 8 overall?

Scott Bair, Tori McElhaney and Kris Rhim break down what Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith said during their press conferences at the NFL Scouting Combine, including Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley and possibilities of freeing up salary-cap space before free agency begins on March 16. We set you up for a busy stretch of the offseason, where we'll see the Falcons make big moves to set themselves up for the 2022 season.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro

(00:02:27): Addressing what Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot said about Matt Ryan and Calvin Ridley

(00:09:49): Addressing Terry Fontenot's 'elephants in the room'

(00:14:38): Falcons approach to free agency, Fontenot's sales pitch

(00:21:16): Why Falcons freeing up cap space is so complicated

Scott, Tori and Kris break down the Falcons biggest needs, including which position takes the top spot, in the latest episode of the Falcons Final Whistle podcast. While edge rusher is the obvious choice, we debate other spots that simply must be addressed this offseason, and why this priority list shouldn't influence what the Falcons do at No. 8 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, Tori explains how all positions are needs

(00:06:31): Where is the Falcons biggest roster need?

(00:17:37): Which players of need would be best fits for the Falcons??

(00:25:07): How should Falcons address the offensive line?

(00:27:30): Drafting best player over need

Scott Bair, Tori McElhaney and Kris Rhim take a look at the Cincinnati Bengals' rise from worst to first in the AFC during a run to the Super Bowl and whether the Falcons can emulate that quick ascent to prominence while Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith work to usher in a period of sustained success.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, initial thoughts on Bengals Super Bowl run

(00:07:39): Outside Joe Burrow, what keyed the Bengals rise from worst to first?

(00:17:28): How Joe Burrow factored into this Bengals surge

(00:23:50): How Falcons can emulate Bengals ascent (in their own way)

Scott, Tori and Kris discuss Cordarrelle Patterson's future with the Falcons, just weeks away from him hitting the open market in unrestricted free agency. He unlocked true potential during his first season with Arthur Smith and the Falcons, saying that city of Atlanta changed his life and that he'd like to retire a Falcon. Will that happen? We break it all down on Falcons Final Whistle in our latest question of the week.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, initial thoughts on Cordarrelle Patterson's value

(00:08:10): How should Falcons prioritize Patterson compared to other pending free agents

(00:13:15): How much should, or could the Falcons pay for a new deal?

(00:18:30): Thoughts on Patterson's social media campaign to stay in Atlanta

(00:24:10): What needs to happen for Falcons to re-sign Patterson, and will he be back?

Scott, Tori and Kris discuss major NFC South news and how the Falcons are impacted by Tom Brady's retirement and Sean Payton stepping away at Saints head coach. How will the divisional race change and should the Falcons do anything different with the division coming back to them? We discuss all that and more in this episode of Falcons Final Whistle. As a listener note, we recorded this episode before Brady made his retirement official, so there is some now outdated discussion of whether he'll return for one more season.

Timecodes:

(00:00:41): Intro, initial thoughts on NFC South news

(00:07:37): How Falcons will react to Payton/Brady leaving the division

(00:10:44): How Bucs could be impacted by Brady retirement

(00:13:18): Why losing Sean Payton is a big blow to Saints

(00:15:15): Should these departures change the Falcons' approach to this offseason?

Scott, Tori and Kris open the first offseason episode of Falcons Final Whistle with a discussion quarterback Matt Ryan's performance in 2021, whether he should be back in 2022 (and beyond) and how the Falcons could execute a succession plan at quarterback after having Ryan calling signals for so long.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro to the offseason version of Falcons Final Whistle

(00:05:31): Evaluating Matt Ryan's 2021 campaign

(00:08:57): Impact of Matt Ryan's contract on decisions about his future

(00:13:32): Will Matt Ryan be Falcons starting quarterback in 2022?

(00:18:03): How should the Falcons execute a succession plan at quarterback?

Derek, Dave and DJ discuss their opinions on the 2021 season, and dive into what Free Agency and the 2022 NFL Draft could look like for the Falcons.

Scott, Tori and Kris break down what happens next, after a 30-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the regular season finale. We discuss Matt Ryan's future, how Falcons should approach their own free agents, an offseason priority list and what the Falcons should do with the No. 8 overall pick. It's a perfect primer for a Falcons team now entering the offseason?

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, biggest takeaways

(00:04:25): Diving into Matt Ryan's future with Falcons

(00:10:58): What Falcons should do with impending free agents

(00:17:03): Prioritizing Falcons needs to be addressed this offseason

(00:22:23): What Falcons can do with No. 8 overall NFL Draft pick

Derek and Dave dive into the Falcons loss against the Buffalo Bills, discuss Matt Ryan's taunting call, examine the elite Falcons defense and map out how the Falcons can ruin the Saints New Year.

Scott, Tori and Kris break down a dramatic loss to the Buffalo Bills that mathematically eliminated the Falcons from playoff contention, what went wrong and how the franchise can grow from this season's experience.

Derek, Dave and DJ dive into the Falcons win against the Detroit Lions, discuss Kyle Pitts' record breaking game and map out how the Falcons can find continued success on the road against the Buffalo Bills.

Kris, Tori and Scott break down another dramatic Falcons victory over the Lions, how they were able to secure it and why they've been so good in one-score games. We also analyze excellent performances from Foye Oluokun and Kyle Pitts, plus Arthur Smith's impact on the Falcons culture.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, biggest takeaways

(00:03:16): How Falcons emerged victorious over dramatic finish

(00:08:42): On Kyle Pitts' record-breaking day

(00:14:42): Why it's just fine Falcons were "gritty, not pretty"

(00:20:04): What Falcons means as Dirty Birds close out 2021 campaign

Scott, Tori and Kris break down what went wrong for the Falcons and how it significantly impacts their playoff hopes. We dissect this disappointing outcome, how it could've gone better and what to look for as the Falcons close out the season over the final three games.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, biggest takeaways

(00:03:14): Why Falcons struggles in the red zone made the difference

(00:08:15): Playoff hopes take a huge hit

(00:13:36): Why Russell Gage has gotten hot late in this season

(00:18:23): Where do the Falcons go from here?

Welcome to Falcons Final Whistle – an Atlanta Falcons postgame podcast where experts react and provide informed analysis of the Atlanta Falcons on-field performance.

Join Atlanta Falcons Insiders Scott Bair, Tori McElhaney and Kris Rhim as they breakdown the latest Atlanta Falcons game action and what it means for the team's success. Like and subscribe to join us for the lively debate on Falcons Final Whistle.

Derek, Dave and DJ dive into the Falcons win against the Carolina Panthers (01:21) and how the Falcons can find continued success on the road against the 49ers. (08:53)

Scott, Kris and Tori break down an essential victory over the Carolina Panthers that kept the Falcons in the NFC playoff mix and how they responded well from disappointing recent results. They dissect why the Falcons have improved on defense and in the rushing attack, and how that could help them stay in the hunt down the stretch.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, biggest takeaways

(00:04:19): Falcons defense 'took it personal,' responded well in Panthers rematch

(00:09:11): Why run game has found consistency

(00:14:33): Falcons MVPs against Panthers (and they're not the usual suspects)

(00:20:35): The importance of the Falcons win, and what's required moving forward

Welcome to Falcons Final Whistle – an Atlanta Falcons postgame podcast where experts react and provide informed analysis of the Atlanta Falcons on-field performance.

Join Atlanta Falcons Insiders Scott Bair, Tori McElhaney and Kris Rhim as they breakdown the latest Atlanta Falcons game action and what it means for the team's success. Like and subscribe to join us for the lively debate on Falcons Final Whistle.

Derek, Dave and DJ dive into the Falcons loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and how the Falcons can turn it around against the Carolina Panthers. They also share stories of their favorite, "big man touchdowns."

Scott, Tori and Kris break down the Falcons' loss to the Tampa Bay, Buccaneers identifying what went wrong and stats that tell the story, how the home team could've done better and why they need to fix problems fast with the season winding down.

Timecodes:

(00:00:00): Intro, biggest takeaways, and topics

(00:02:56): Stats that tell the story of this game

(00:08:38): Tide-turning plays the Falcons would like to take back

(00:14:08): How the Falcons run game has come to life

(00:19.34): What Falcons must do to stay in the playoff hunt