Add NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal to the growing list of media members in the NFL that is starting to create a buzz about the 2012 version of the Atlanta Falcons.
In his post on Monday, Rosenthal provides four reasons to buy the hype of the Falcons, specifically the offense. Rosenthal's reasons go beyond the reports of the offseason workout regimen of Matt Ryan or Roddy White recently saying the group on offense he's playing with is the best he's been around since he entered the league.
Rosenthal thinks the maturation of Julio Jones, the depth at receiver, the new coordinator in Dirk Koetter and the no huddle are all reasons for his belief in the Falcons.
Jones' offseason progression has been tremendous and there's little reason to believe he won't take a step forward into the discussion as a top receiver in the league this season. For that, he's at the top of Rosenthal's list. He mentions Harry Douglas as "one of the most dangerous No. 3 wideouts in the league" and combined with White and tight end Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons have an imposing group of pass catchers. Little has been written about Gonzalez' role in the offense during the offseason, but Rosenthal points out that he is still a "big weapon and will get single coverage at tight end."
The fresh approach on offense that Koetter is bringing, Rosenthal thinks, will help in the vertical passing game, a style that suits the weapons on offense.
The more interesting aspect of his post is the mention of the no huddle. He cites NFL Films' Greg Cosell saying recently that Ryan's best quality is the comfort he has running a no huddle offense. With Ryan's smarts in an offense he knows well and provided with the ability to run the show, the quarterback may be ready to truly take control of the offense.
