ESPN gives the Falcons' offseason a steady B+, with a few misgivings

The Falcons had one of the more successful offseasons in the NFL, hiring a highly-regarded new head coach, adding tangible if not flashy upgrades in free agency and landing a widely lauded draft class. Whether that translates into success on the field remains to be seen, of course, but most would give the Falcons pretty high marks.

ESPN's analysts are no exception, though that comes with a handful of caveats. They awarded the offseason a strong B+, with lingering concerns over the state of the offensive line and tight end in particular. They're also weirdly obsessed with the team's running back situation over free safety, as exemplified by analyst Bill Williamson here.

"It seems like everyone is praising their draft and I get that, but I still see a team with lots of holes. The line is just OK. They have no tight end. They will not be substantially better on defense. (Tevin) Coleman was a poor pick in the third round even though they need help at running back. I am not sure where they are better."

Williamson is not necessarily unfair here, except with regards to Coleman, since he's saying he's a poor pick without backing that up whatsoever. But the team's concerns at tight end and guard are real, and I think it's fair to be skeptical about a team fixing all its holes in a single offseason. Why Williamson and Polian are fixating on the ground game is anyone's guess, though.

On a more positive note, ESPN's Field Yates really like what the Falcons were up to.

"After a couple years of more aggressive spending in free agency, the Falcons stuck to their plan, targeting a couple of very specific need areas," Yates said. "They got a blend of guys with medium price tags. They got players, such as Adrian Clayborn, who are not superstars but are scheme fits at price points that are not backbreaking even if they do not become starters. They got scheme fits and good value with their first three draft choices. Grady Jarrett was one of the better value picks on the third day."

Grade the Falcon's offseason in the poll below, if you would.