Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Thursday, January 16

It’s Shanahan-LaFleur Bowl Week, and we’ve got some top shelf links that have absolutely zero to do with those gentlemen.

Here’s Falcoholinks for your Thursday.

What to do with Koo?

With all of the chaos that surrounded the Falcons’ kicking situation last season, Younghoe Koo proved the right man to bail out a special teams unit that was rapidly taking on water. He went 23/26 in field goals, the three misses coming from 30 yards or beyond.

He should enter 2020 as the presumptive favorite in the kicking role, but there are legitimate concerns about his ability to be consistent from distance. With the Giorgio Tavecchio mess still fresh in memory, this team should definitely bring in some camp competition to make Koo prove that he’s the guy next season.

Positional reviews: Guards

Let’s just be frank: The guard situation was an abject disaster in 2019. Rookie first-rounder Chris Lindstrom was injured in Week 1 and missed the bulk of the remainder of the season, and Jamon Brown and James Carpenter were both a combination of injured and ineffective.

So it goes without saying that last year was one to forget (or learn from) at the Falcons’ guard position. But how grim is the outlook for 2020?

Pass rushing bargains

Two things are currently true: The Falcons desperately need an impact pass rusher, and they also have very little to spend in free agency. So when it comes to acquiring a productive player on the defensive line, it will have to occur in the 2020 NFL Draft or in the free agency bargain bin.

So who are some affordable names that might be on Atlanta’s radar?

The Falcoholic Live Ep. 97

Did you miss the live broadcast of Kevin Knight. Adnan Ikic, and Evan Birchfield taking a look at the free agent class of 2020, and the potential moves the Falcons can make? No worry — you can catch the full episode right here.