This article is part of our 2020 Training Camp Preview series.
Expanding upon our team preview collection from earlier this offseason, we're gearing up for an irregular August with a series of team-specific articles to get you up to speed for training camp. You can find the previous writeup on the Falcons here.
State of the Franchise
Midway through the 2019 season, Dan Quinn sat atop a dubious prop bet list in Las Vegas sportsbooks – the NFL's most likely coach to be fired – as Atlanta got out to a 1-7 first-half record to follow up a disappointing 7-9 finish in 2018. Even going into last year, it seemed he was on the hot seat, as NBC's Peter King reported that Quinn became the first head coach since 1989 to fire all three of his coordinators while keeping his own job.
Indeed, the outlook was bleak at midseason, but thanks to a defensive rebound, Quinn was able to compose a 6-2 record afterward and retain his position. Upon Quinn's surrender of defensive play-calling duties to assistants Raheem Morris and Jeff Ulbrich following Atlanta's Week 9 bye, the Falcons allowed just 18.6 points per game, after giving up more than 31 points per game Weeks 1-8.
The unit also forced two turnovers per game in the second half of the season, a rate that would have tied Seattle for third best had it been maintained all year. The pressure is on for Quinn going into Year 6 of his regime after back-to-back losing seasons, but retaining Morris as defensive coordinator may prove to be Atlanta's secret weapon.
Job Battle
Ito Smith may have been a fourth-round pick in 2018, but the Falcons still took Qadree Ollison in the fifth round one year later, after the former ran to a measly 3.5 yards-per-carry average as a rookie. Smith improved during his sophomore campaign by rushing to a 4.8 clip Weeks 1 through 7, but he then landed on injured reserve upon suffering his second concussion of the season. Ollison performed adequately with the goal-line chances that came his way, punching in four scores but averaging just 2.3 yards 22 carries.
Brian Hill proved to be the most dependable of the second-string group last year, despite managing only 44 yards on 24 carries across two starts Weeks 11 and 12 while Devonta Freeman sat out with a foot injury. The 24-year-old back was unable to capitalize on those chances, but he enjoyed a career year otherwise, with 392 yards from scrimmage. Hill made his most notable contribution while collecting 71 total yards and a receiving touchdown during the Falcons' Week 10 upset of New Orleans. Whoever wins the competition between Smith, Ollison and Hill will be the next back up if offseason signee Todd Gurley misses time.
Medical Tent
RB Todd Gurley
Gurley's physical exam with the Falcons was delayed nearly three months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving fans waiting with bated breath regarding the status of the newly acquired back. Thankfully, the two-time All-Pro checked out with team doctors upon his arrival in Flowery Branch, shining optimism on the ground attack after Devonta Freeman, Brian Hill and Ito Smith combined for 3.8 yards per attempt in 2019. With concerns about his surgically repaired knee tabled for the time being, Gurley has a fair chance of revitalizing his career within Atlanta's prolific offense.
The first two years of Neal's NFL career were prosperous but the subsequent two nightmarish. Within a 13-month span, he suffered a pair of devastating injuries, including a torn ACL in the 2018 opener and a torn Achilles in Week 3 of last season. He compiled 222 tackles and 14 pass deflections between 2016 and 2017, but the nature of Neal's recent injuries sheds doubt on a possible return to Pro Bowl form. Amidst a secondary that is extremely inexperienced at cornerback, Neal is the expected starter at strong safety despite having just four appearances the past two years.
McKinley has appeared in 45 of a possible 48 regular-season games since entering the league in 2017, but his left shoulder frequently reemerges as an obstacle to be dealt with. He underwent shoulder surgery a month prior to being drafted by the Falcons, then again had a procedure done in February 2018 before aggravating it midway through the 2019 season and eventually landing on injured reserve. Now entering a contract year after Atlanta declined his fifth-year rookie option in April, McKinley will have every opportunity to produce for a Falcons defense lacking edge rushers other than free-agent signing Dante Fowler.
