Payton has plenty of work ahead
With head coach Jim Mora entering his second season and the organization making quality offseason acquisitions, this team was expected to take a step forward in 2005. Instead, Atlanta struggled down the stretch and was one of the most disappointing teams in the league. The good news is the Falcons aren't far from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders. However, one area that must be addressed for Atlanta to return to the playoffs is a run defense that was one of the worst in the league last year. Expect the team to make some changes up front. The Falcons need to add some size in the front four and, more important, must get more physical at the point of attack. Atlanta's priority on offense is adding another big-play weapon for QB Michael Vick.
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2006 Free Agency
Scouts Inc. gets an early jump on free agency with a position-by-position look at the top potential 2006 free agents (offense, defense and special teams) and team-by-team needs:
• Breakdown of 2006 free agents
• AFC East | NFC East
• AFC South | NFC South
• AFC North | NFC North
• AFC West | NFC West
• Offensive free agents
• Defensive free agents
• Special teams free agents
- Schefter: On teams already looking to 2010
- Rumors: Crabtree's plan for SF offense
- Tools: PickCenter | Game Predictor
- Draft: Mel's Big Board (11/18) | NFL draft blog
