Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Monday, Feb. 18

It’s a holiday, and that’s good. Day off? We’ve got you with a Falcons news round-up. Working? Well, that’s a bummer. But the good news is you can still dodge the clock with Monday’s Falcoholinks.

Peering into the Past

We continued a couple of offseason series last week, exploring the careers of two Forgotten Falcons and checking in on a wide receiver from the 90’s on Throwback Thursday.

First on the docket was Todd Weiner, the Falcons’ right tackle from 2002-2008. Weiner was a stout addition to Atlanta’s offensive line, keeping watch over Michael Vick’s blindside and shepherding the Falcons to the Matt Ryan era. His middle name is also Dewberry.

Next up was defensive end Lester Archambeau, whose name is nearly as cool as “Dewberry.” Archambeau was a key addition in 1993, and he spent the following seven seasons frustrating offensive linemen and harassing quarterbacks.

For his Throwback Thursday series, Evan Birchfield took a look at the Falcons career of wide receiver Terance Mathis. Third on Atlanta’s all-time receiving list with 7,349 yards, Mathis was an integral component to the Falcons’ first Super Bowl appearance.

Edge Defenders, By the Numbers

The Falcons have freed up some cash of late, most recently in declining to offer a contract to restricted free agent Brian Poole. With deeper pockets than they had entering last season, Atlanta should have the ability to ink one of the top free agent edge defenders.

But who would fit the Falcons best, and what would it take to land him? The Falcoholic’s Kevin Knight dove into the numbers with contract projections for some of the league’s best EDGE free agents.

Free Agent Jackpots

So who is the best free agent that the Falcons have ever brought on board? That’s a debate we’re tossing out into the universe in another new offseason series. The 2008 acquisition of Michael Turner revitalized the Falcons’ ground game and provided balance to the air attack led by then rookie Matt Ryan. He certainly deserves consideration.

But then there’s Alex Mack, the anchor of Atlanta’s offensive front, who seemed a long-shot to sign when he hit free agency in 2015. The center position was in dire need of stability, so the Falcons opened up their purse strings and brought the league’s best at the position to Atlanta. A compelling argument can be made that he’s the best free agency move the Falcons have ever made.

Ridley and His Routes

Calvin Ridley put in an extremely impressive rookie campaign, one that saw him create the most separation among all NFL wide receivers in 2018. Ridley of course led the entire team in touchdowns, and with his eye-opening first season in the books, the best is yet to come for the Falcons’ 2018 first-rounder.