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I was thinking about the upcoming draft on my drive to work this morning. We've talk ad nauseum about the need to improve the Falcons' offensive line. When your franchise quarterback is sacked a career-high 44 times, drastic action is necessary. Drafting an offensive lineman before Saturday (i.e., in the first two days) just makes sense. But wait! Are we entirely sure the Falcons front office is thinking the same thing?
It's not like we don't have depth. Sam Baker and Justin Blalock are already penciled in as starters. Whether Baker plays like he did in 2012 or is once again injured - this time while clipping his fingernails - remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Jon Asomoah will ideally bring some stability at right guard. Finally, Peter Konz, Joe Hawley, Gabe Carimi, Mike Johnson, Ryan Schraeder, and Lamar Holmes will fight it out for the final two spots. That'd be enough to keep Matt Ryan upright!
If you're not convinced, I don't blame you. But factor in the Mike Tice hire, and the Falcons might be that crazy. They might think a plug and play right tackle is a luxury this team can function without. I'm not saying I agree with that sort of thinking, but it's certainly possible they feel that way. As Dave pointed out in his mock draft, once they get into the middle rounds, the Falcons might as well address other needs, waiting until the final rounds to look for some offensive line depth.
Your thoughts?