The Atlanta Falcons are slowly starting to shape their 2015 roster after Dan Quinn took over as head coach. That new look came at the cost of several veteran players, but is making room for the team to be spenders in free agency. The Falcons have a lot of holes to fill on their roster and the team needs money to do so. After releasing players like Steven Jackson and Harry Douglas on Friday, who will the team target this offseason?
The Falcons announced on Friday that both Douglas and Jackson would be released from the team, saving them upwards of $7.25 million with just those two cuts alone. The moves were certainly not easy. Douglas was a fan-favorite, putting up his first 1,000-yard season in 2013 after both Julio Jones and Roddy White were injured. The Falcons could not afford to retain his $3.5 million salary in the coming year. Jackson's tenure with the Falcons can be summed up as a failure. The running back did not do much in his two seasons with the team and new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was hinting that a move might be made.
"People asking me that all the time ... I like a good running back," Shanahan said, via ESPN.com. "There's no absolute. I've had big guys. I've had smaller guys. I'll take any type of guy. I think Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch are pretty good backs that are pretty big. That doesn't mean I don't want LeSean McCoy. So, I think any type of back can succeed in this system. But the type of guys you want are guys who can put their foot in the ground, get downhill."
So who does Atlanta bring in? The tight end position must be a priority. The team has yet to recover from the loss of Tony Gonzalez. There are good options on the market, but according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN, Julius Thomas is unlikely to get any interest from the Falcons. McClure reports team sources are saying the former Denver Broncos tight end is not in the picture. Jordan Cameron could be an option with his familiarity with Shanahan while Jermaine Gresham could also be a strong fit.
The Falcons need to get younger at the wide receiver spot. Jones is the only player under 30. The Falcons could easily eye someone like Hakeem Nicks or Michael Crabtree. However, they could be players in the draft for Amari Cooper, Kevin White or DeVante Parker. Shanahan has the bigger picture in mind with the offense. The team needs to be younger and more athletic and he and Quinn will seek out all options on the market.
