The Atlanta Falcons’ first year without franchise cornerstone wideout Julio Jones didn’t go so well. Calvin Ridley left midseason due to personal issues, and the rest of the wide receiver group struggled with growing pains. Entering the second offseason of the Arthur Blank era, the Falcons need to use free agency and the NFL Draft to upgrade their WR depth chart to help out QB Matt Ryan and superstar tight end Kyle Pitts.
How can the Atlanta Falcons fix their WR depth chart?
Here is Pro Football Network’s four-step plan to dramatically improve Atlanta’s wide receiver corps, even with a projected $7 million salary cap debt.
Trade Calvin Ridley
Ridley appears to be on his way out of Atlanta after only appearing in five games last season. He left the team to work on his mental health, and the Falcons had little talent or depth in the wideout room. Entering his fifth-year option salary, Ridley is due a guaranteed $11.2 million. Cutting Ridley won’t help the Falcons because it would keep his entire cap charge on the books.
There have been reports that have implied Ridley wants a change of scenery, and the Falcons’ brass has alluded to a potential parting of the ways as well. Trading Ridley for a Day 2 pick could help the Falcons save over $11 million in cap space and clear a distraction from the roster.
Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets all have needs at receiver and could make Ridley’s contract work under their salary cap situations.
Re-sign Russell Gage, Olamide Zaccheaus
With Ridley out of the lineup for most of last season, Russell Gage, 26, led the Falcons’ wide receivers with 66 catches for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns. Gage isn’t a No. 1 wideout, but he’s a solid veteran who can play multiple spots. Re-signing Gage, perhaps on a short-term deal, could at least establish some continuity within the offense.
Olamide Zaccheaus is set to become a restricted free agent on March 16. The Falcons could place a right of first refusal tender on him — valued at around $2.4 million — and retain him for another season. Zacchaeus was a nice complementary piece last season, as he caught 31 passes for 406 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Other than Ridley, Frank Darby is the only wideout on the payroll returning from last season. Bringing back Gage and Zaccheaus at least creates some familiarity.
Sign Cedrick Wilson
The Falcons don’t have a lot of salary cap wiggle room entering free agency, so don’t expect a major splash at wideout on the open market. Instead, the Falcons should look to improve their depth and bring in an ascending veteran who can play multiple spots, such as Dallas Cowboys free agent Cedrick Wilson.
While the Cowboys are likely to save $20 million by cutting wideout Amari Cooper, Dallas still might not be able to re-sign Wilson and Michael Gallup. With Gallup likely to be Jerry Jones’ focus, Wilson could slip through the cracks.
Wilson caught 45 passes for 602 yards and 6 touchdowns last season. Set to turn 27 this month, he’s still in his prime.
Spotrac projects Wilson’s annual salary value to be around $6.4 million. That’s a doable annual salary for the Falcons, especially on a two- or three-year deal. Wilson could provide a starting presence at the Z and slot receiver positions, complementing both Gage and Pitts.
Draft Garrett Wilson
The Falcons own the eighth overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. While some will scoff at a wideout going this high in a deep class, the Falcons really, really need to upgrade their passing attack. Garrett Wilson is a guy who can take the top off the defense and also be a possession weapon for Atlanta.
Wilson has the upside to turn into a legitimate Pro Bowl wide receiver. He’s quick, technique-savvy, and has impressive hands. During his three years at Ohio State, he produced 143 catches for 2,213 yards and 23 touchdowns. Wilson also ran the ball 6 times for 143 yards and a touchdown.
In Conclusion
A wideout group featuring both Wilsons, Gage, and Zaccheaus offers a lot of speed. That quickness will allow the Falcons to take advantage of the double-team coverage that Pitts will see across the middle.
Ryan can still sling the ball, so being able to take advantage of a bunch of speedsters would be an ideal outlook for the aging QB.