How much influence will Keith Armstrong have over the final roster?

Last year, the Falcons boasted one of the better special teams units in the NFL, especially when it came to kick and punt coverage. Keith Armstrong was the mastermind behind that unit, of course, and he returns to Atlanta in 2015 with an eye on repeating that success.

The question is, will Armstrong get to pick his own guys, or will he need to mold new players into special teams success stories?

We're not close to having that one answered, but it's an interesting question to ponder. In 2014, Armstrong had Nate Stupar, Eric Weems, Devin Hester and players like Sean Baker kicking around as players who were primarily useful on special teams, plus Matt Bryant and Matt Bosher. The Falcons have really placed a heavy emphasis on players who could serve Armstrong well, and they've consistently been rewarded with above average-to-great special teams.

That may change this year. The team has brought along a ton of competition, and they may not be willing to dedicated many roster spots to players who really only excel on special teams, which means players like Baker, Weems and Stupar may be out of jobs in 2015. That will mean reserves like Malliciah Goodman, who famously was not good enough to be an asshole, will be counted on to deliver just as much on coverage teams as defense. The good news is that there were already several players like Kemal Ishmael and even Goodman who wound up being stellar special teamers in 2014, and Antone Smith was already one of the NFL's best gunners and is virtually guaranteed a roster spot at this point. They'll be in decent shape on special teams no matter where they go.

Let's see how it unfolds, but my hunch is Armstrong's going to have to turn a bunch of new players into quality special teams contributors. I imagine he'll be up to the task.