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Let's be honest, the draft process and free agency can be pretty hit-or-miss for many teams. Atlanta has some glaring needs on both sides of the ball, and it's important that they address those needs effectively if they're going to bounce back in 2014. If Atlanta could only add one player with All Pro-caliber talent for the 2014 season, which position would be most important to address?
The pass rush has been a grave concern over the past several seasons, and particularly considering the team's stated shift to more time in a 3-4 base defense, locking up an effective pass rushing outside linebacker would be a logical move. The thing about a decent pass rush is that it can elevate the entire defense. Atlanta is, in my opinion, unlikely to sink a ton of money into top-caliber defensive players across the board, because they have built an offense that should theoretically be able to outscore anybody. Part of the reason the offense hasn't been able to outscore opponents, particularly in 2013, has been the defensive weakness, and the lack of any adequate pass rush is a big part of that.
Obviously, the offensive line was a catastrophe in 2013, and while the Falcons made a couple of notable moves in free agency, bringing in former first rounder Gabe Carimi, as well as Jon Asamoah, a third round pick in 2010, fans are unsure about this unit's preparedness heading into the 2014 season. Watching your franchise quarterback spend a significant portion of the 2013 season on the turf will do that. The 2013 offensive line was another primary reason that the Falcons were unable to outscore opponents in 2013, because while Matt Ryan put up decent numbers despite getting destroyed on a regular basis, he isn't magic, unfortunately. Protecting the quarterback is fundamentally important to the team's success.
What do you think? If the team could draft or sign only one All-Pro caliber player, what position should they choose to address? At what position would that level of talent have the most positive impact? Discuss!