The Falcoholic
With the news of Ray-Ray McCloud’s unknown return and the inconsistent play and bad injury luck from Darnell Mooney, many feel the Atlanta Falcons need to make a move at the receiver position.
The trade deadline is November 4th, but do the Falcons need to do something as drastic as trading away future assets, and what compensation can they afford to lose to begin with? Here are some of the avenues we could see the team taking.
The Falcons came into the season with four tight ends on the active roster, and it wasn’t just for show. Atlanta has the second-highest 12-personnel usage rate in the league at 47.27%, which has led to the 2nd-most productive offense by yardage through six weeks. Is prioritizing a new receiver, when already down a first-round pick in 2026, necessary if the Falcons identity is built around running the ball?
Mooney will soon return, and it’s not out of the question to believe that he can be a better version of the player we’ve seen in limited action this year. Beyond him and Drake London, the current wide receiver room lacks athleticism, but Casey Washington and David Sills had key blocks on two separate touchdown runs against the Buffalo Bills. The Falcons just proved they can succeed with what they have in-house, and it’s doubtful we’ll see any external moves before Sunday night, but we could see an internal one.
The preseason darling and 2024 NCAA triple crown winner has fans calling his name now more than ever. Before the Falcons do any shopping, they have the opportunity to give the undrafted free agent a chance to prove himself. We’re not talking about drawing up plays for Nash or even throwing him the ball, but can he prove to do the dirty work and execute his assignments? No block, no rock was the attitude in the room when TJ Yates was the WR Coach under Arthur Smith, and that attitude has appeared to return.
Nash will also have to be a plus on special teams, where he’ll likely see most of his snaps if he is elevated. If Nash can do all the little things right in his first appearance, then the team might be willing to wait a little bit longer before jumping into the receiver market. You could also make this same argument for Chris Blair, who was reliable last year when called upon.
To no surprise, there isn’t a wealth of talent waiting for the Falcons on the open market. Atlanta could give DJ Chark a call since he was here during camp, but the team already decided that multiple receivers on the team were better than him. Treylon Burks was the most intriguing name, but the Washington Commanders just signed him. Burks still would’ve come with a lot of injury baggage and likely wouldn’t be up to speed physically or mentally for weeks. I’m sure there are other...
