ATHENS, Ga. – Although the Falcons may not have made many "splash" free-agent signings this offseason, the moves they have made have been very intentional.
The Falcons' No. 1 need heading into the offseason was to bolster their offensive line. Matt Ryan was sacked 42 times last year and the Falcons finished with the 27th-ranked rushing attack, averaging 98.3 yards per game. Both starting guards – Brandon Fusco and Andy Levitre – also ended up on the injured reserve list.
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Not surprisingly, Atlanta's first two free-agent signings this past week were both guards – James Carpenter and Jamon Brown. Carpenter is a 6-foot-5, 321-pound left guard and Brown is a 6-foot-4, 340-pound right guard.
But just because the Falcons signed two offensive linemen doesn't mean they're done addressing that area, according to Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
"We need to continue to build our depth and our youth," said Dimitroff, while attending the University of Georgia's pro day workouts here on Wednesday.
"We'll continue to look at the both sides of the offensive and defensive line as we go into the draft and of course many other positions we need."
The Falcons also added a veteran blocking tight end in Luke Stocker who has also played some fullback.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn wasn't kidding when he said he wanted a more physical brand of football in 2019 and Dimitroff went out and found two offensive linemen who fit the bill in that regard.
"We're really excited about two big dudes coming in," Dimitroff said. "They are accomplished guys, have a lot of experience. There's no mystery about the history of where we were in the last couple of years at our guard situation. We needed guys who were going to come in and anchor for Matt, that's a big thing for us. We love the fact that we have some size there which is going to be good for us not only can they anchor in the pass game, but we feel they will be able to] move the pile more on those really important downs. We like where we are there."
The Falcons currently have nine picks this year's NFL Draft, which begins on April 25. The Falcons look to be in a good spot as they continue to build their roster with just over a month to go.
