The Atlanta Falcons are taking a big risk by putting the offense in the hands of second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder. The 2022 third-round pick started the final four games of his rookie season and the team went 2-2, which is encouraging. However, he left a little bit to be desired when it came to producing.
While he didn’t turn the ball over, which was certainly a positive, he averaged under 200 yards per game. He completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards and two touchdowns, adding 64 yards on 16 rushing attempts.
Head coach Arthur Smith wants this to be a smash-mouth, run-first team, so Ridder could fit the bill as the type of quarterback he is seeking. However, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to continue adding some more weapons around him.
All three first-round picks that the Falcons have made under Smith have been offensive playmakers. In 2021 it was tight end, Kyle Pitts. Last year it was wide receiver Drake London and this year it was running back Bijan Robinson.
That trio could be the backbone of the offense for years to come, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring in an established veteran to bring it all together. One player who would fit that bill is wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who was suggested by PFF as one move the Falcons need to make before training camp.
“Landry is an underneath slot receiver who could be a safety valve over the middle for quarterback Desmond Ridder, and the Falcons are still thin at pass catcher beyond Kyle Pitts and Drake London. After missing most of the 2022 season with an injury, Landry is likely looking at one-year flier contract offers once again in 2023.
Landry is also known to be a good veteran leader, which could be a positive addition to a team with a lot of young offensive weapons. He’s coming off the two worst seasons of his career, but he was arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL from 2015 to 2020; his 3,938 receiving yards, 1,748 yards after the catch, 1,166 yards after contact and 91 explosive receptions of 15 or more yards all ranked first among qualifying slot receivers over that span. The Falcons buying low on a potential bounce-back could age nicely in the right setting.”
A safety valve working the middle of the field is a young quarterback’s best friend. Landry could provide that in Atlanta, as they are lacking options in the slot with London and Mack Hollins occupying the perimeter starting spots. Landry is also a great fit schematically as he isn’t afraid to mix it up in the running game as a blocker.
Injuries have set Landry back in recent seasons, but as PFF noted, it wasn’t too long ago that he was a premier slot receiver in the NFL. Short on veterans but not on salary cap space, the Falcons would be a great landing spot for the slot receiver.
