Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Monday, Feb. 4

The New England Patriots won a snoozer of a Super Bowl, but it wasn’t the New Orleans Saints and that’s a good thing. The NFL officially entered its offseason, so indulge yourselves on some links to get through the withdrawals.

Canton Bound

Tony Gonzalez is the greatest tight end the game has ever seen, and on Saturday he was formally inducted into the Hall of Fame. Gonzalez lifted the Falcons’ offense to another level when he arrived in Atlanta in 2009, racking up 4,187 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns in his five seasons.

Tony Gonzalez revolutionized the position as a receiver, paving the way for the big time pass-catching tight ends that now populate the league. Although he was only here for a few years, he made an indelible mark on the Atlanta Falcons.

Congratulations, Tony!

The Falcoholic on Assignment

Atlanta was the epicenter of the football world all week, so naturally we had to weasel our way in somehow. Our Jeanna Thomas was on hand during all of the festivities taking place, and she caught up with Dan Quinn, Grady Jarrett, and Ben Garland on the red carpet for NFL Honors.

Falcoholic writer Adnan Ikic was also able to join in on the fun, covering the 19th annual celebrity flag football challenge at Suntrust Park. Doug Flutie’s team absolutely pasted Michael Vick’s squad, but amid the dismantling Adnan was able to speak with former Falcon Brian Jordan, current linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, and Lions cornerback Darius Slay.

Although his flag football team lost in spectacular fashion, Michael Vick maintained the PMA with a message for Atlanta Falcons fans.

Peering Through the Windows

We continued our “Career Windows” series this week, with Adnan taking a deep dive into center Alex Mack’s potential outlook with the Falcons, and Cory Woodroof focusing on wide receiver Mohamed Sanu’s career trajectory. Both players have provided immense value to this team, so it’s worth the time to examine how much longer they’ll be playing at a high level.

Dimitroff Speaks

It’s not unexpected at all, but it’s always nice to hear a verbal confirmation of good news. Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff put some minds at ease this week when he reinforced that Atlanta’s top offseason priorities are the contracts of Grady Jarrett and Julio Jones.

Grady is an unrestricted free agent, and the Falcons famously punted Julio’s contract situation down the line. Both should be addressed in kind to lay the groundwork for this team’s future. Grady’s an absolute game-wrecker on the defensive front, and Julio Jones is, well, Julio Jones. He checks in at number 2 on our list of top offensive players from 2018.