The Falcons went all in on revamping their offensive line during the 2019 offseason with mixed results. First-round picks Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary both look to be long-term starters for Atlanta, but the team still has a need at left guard.
With free agency kicking off next week, the Falcons have little cap space and bigger needs on defense. There’s still one ideal option for Atlanta, though, as Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield pointed out.
In a feature highlighting one critical free agent target for each team, Patriots guard Ted Karras was named for the Falcons. Karras is a good fit in a zone scheme and as Schofield explains, could play both guard and center for the Falcons:
Karras has been a steady presence in the New England offensive line room for a few seasons now. He has started for them at guard, and last year when David Andrews was lost for the year with health concerns he stepped into a critical spot and performed very well. He would provide depth at both guard and center, and could even be looked at as a potential starter at left guard coming out of training camp. With limited financial resources, the Falcons could still acquire an immediate contributor up front to protect Matt Ryan and help both Lindstrom and McGary develop. This would be a schematic fit as well, as Karras showed good footwork in New England’s zone designs.
Would Atlanta actually risk putting more money into the position after free agents James Carpenter and Jamon Brown underwhelmed last season?
The team has the No. 16 pick in the first round and two second-round picks in the 2020 draft. Signing someone like Karras would fill a need and free the Falcons up to target a defensive end, tight end, linebacker or defensive tackle in the early rounds.
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